Although Apple’s M1 chip is notoriously difficult to break, it appears that DriveSavers’ researchers have finally succeeded. In a recent press release, the business claimed they “may be the first” to recover data from the M1.
As proof, engineers at DriveSavers successfully transplanted an M1 chip from a faulty logic board to a working one, giving them access to the data they were looking for.
It’s an impressive feat, given the M1’s numerous security features that prohibit unauthorised individuals from accessing the data. For starters, M1 is home to the SSD controller, which regulates data input and output on the drive. As a result, if the SoC dies, users will be unable to access the drive. With the T2 security chip’s encrypted data storage, it’s evident that accessing an Apple SSD is no longer a straightforward task.
The logic board itself is the final component in the chain of command. There are thousands of surface-mounted micro-components on the logic board, and Apple has done their best to obfuscate what is necessary to gain access to the encrypted data,” DriveSavers states in the press release. Data recovery from a faulty logic board is impossible unless you have this information.”
It took data engineers a long time and a lot of painstaking work to re-assemble the logic board and all of the system components after the SoC was removed from the bad logic board and reattached to a good one. This is a huge step forward for Mac data recovery, even if it took a lot of trial and error.
It may sound great in theory, but Apple’s cryptic data security safeguards are a nightmare waiting to happen. Backups of your Mac and other Apple devices are so critical. You can avoid having to change a logic board on your own if you use Time Machine or an external backup.
