Skip to main content

Intel Security releases MacBook scanner for CIA Vault 7 rootkits

We’re just a few days removed from the WikiLeaks publication, Vault 7, that outlined many of the supposed hacking tools at the disposal of the CIA. It has left tech firms scrambling for fixes and has raised questions over what products and services are most at risk, especially as the dust and sensationalism settles around just what kind of powers the CIA wielded with these so-called cyber weapons.

Intel Security, in response, has released a new tool for making sure your MacBook isn’t vulnerable to one of the many exposed techniques. According to the tranche of documents, the CIA had developed an EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) rootkit for MacBooks. The rootkit, called DarkMatter, would replace the BIOS on a MacBook and run malicious code. Rootkits are pretty advanced pieces of malware, designed to avoid detection.

Recommended Videos

Inter Security, which will be rebranded under the McAfee name once again soon, published the scanner to help users identify if they are affected. The scanner is a module for CHIPSEC, Intel’s framework for analyzing PC security.

“EFI firmware malware is a new frontier for stealth and persistent attacks that may be used by sophisticated adversaries to penetrate and persist within organizations and national infrastructure for a very long time. Use open-source CHIPSEC to defend from this threat and stay safe,” said the company.

The update from Intel comes just a couple of days after Apple issued a note to users stating that it has resolved many of the bugs and vulnerabilities that had emerged from the CIA document dump. Intel’s move will provide another fix to the wide array of issues that have cropped up since WikiLeaks published the data.

The whistleblower organization added later in the week that it would not publish details about the CIA’s zero-days — bugs that have yet to be discovered by the software’s developers — until it has alerted the developers to patch the bug, thus providing at least a little more protection for users.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Jonathan Keane
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jonathan is a freelance technology journalist living in Dublin, Ireland. He's previously written for publications and sites…
Honor MagicBook Pro 14 beats the new MacBook Air in one striking way
The lid of the Honor MagicBook Pro 14 in green

Although its name may suggest otherwise, Mobile World Congress (MWC) is not just a show for mobile devices. The business side touches every facet of the consumer technology industry, and many of the biggest companies unveil new products for the European and wider global markets.

The latest edition — MWC Barcelona 2025 — did oversee a return to form, with more mobile devices launched than in recent years, but one of the non-mobile devices that stood out for me was the Honor MagicBook Pro 14.

Read more
The M3 MacBook Air is gone for good — but the M2 is a survivor worth considering
The screen of the MacBook Air on a table.

With the introduction of the new M4 MacBook Air, it's time to say goodbye to some of the older models. This time, both the M3 and the M2 MacBook Air will disappear from Apple Store shelves. Unlike the M3, however, the M2 isn't being discontinued completely -- it will still be available at certain retailers.

This gives people a chance to get an amazing laptop (the laptop I'm writing on right now) at a really good price. TechRadar has already spotted certain M2 MacBook Air configurations on Amazon selling for as low as $699. That's 30% off MSRP and 30% less than the new M4 model.

Read more
Apple’s M4 MacBook Air combines power and portability for $999
M4 MacBook Air

Apple has just launched a new MacBook Air equipped with its M4 chip, bringing improved performance and efficiency to one of the company’s best MacBooks. The long-rumored update means that all of Apple’s laptops now come with the M4 chip.

As expected, the M4 MacBook Air is more of an evolution than a revolution. The M4 chip means a slight improvement in terms of performance compared to the previous M3 version, but there are few changes elsewhere. According to Apple, the M4 MacBook Air can perform tasks like video editing and photo editing up to 2x faster than its M1 counterpart -- so upgrading could be worth it for M1 owners.

Read more