Computer chips can be incredibly susceptible to bugs, as evidenced by the instability of 13th and 14th Gen Intel CPUs after excess voltage is applied to them. Security specialists also know that it’s possible for a well-targeted and well-timed laser light to cause glitches that expose vulnerabilities. One pair of hackers will soon release open-source plans to build one for around $500.
This light-based hacking technique takes advantage of the fact that the extreme miniaturization of transistors and other electrical components makes them vulnerable to the smallest variations in electrical charge. A precisely targeted and well-timed blast from a laser can knock the electrons within transistors out of place, causing glitches that can even bypass hardware security protocols.
