New exploit leaves most Macs vulnerable to permanent backdooring

[Chicog]

'Nuff said.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2015/06/new-remote-exploit-leaves-most-macs-vulnerable-to-permanent-backdooring/

[uksomchai]

It can't possibly be true can it ? What will all those smug mac users do when a poor Windows user who has a problem and posts on here do now ?

They can't just post

" GET A MAC " now can they

[IMHO]

Guys, read

What this researcher is saying is that if we finds a way to execute code on a MAC, he can then modify the BIOS. To be honest, I didn't know that OSX was so locked up that apps with root access are not meant to be able to modify the BIOS - any Windows app can rewrite BIOS.

"To work, an exploit would require a vulnerability that provides the attacker with unfettered "root" access to OS X resources"

Edited June 2, 2015 by IMHO

[tominbkk]

It can't possibly be true can it ? What will all those smug mac users do when a poor Windows user who has a problem and posts on here do now ?

They can't just post

" GET A MAC " now can they

Haha you are pitiful.

[Chicog]

Guys, read

What this researcher is saying is that if we finds a way to execute code on a MAC, he can then modify the BIOS. To be honest, I didn't know that OSX was so locked up that apps with root access are not meant to be able to modify the BIOS - any Windows app can rewrite BIOS.

"To work, an exploit would require a vulnerability that provides the attacker with unfettered "root" access to OS X resources"

Editing Fail:

To work, an exploit would require a vulnerability that provides the attacker with unfettered "root" access to OS X resources. Such vulnerabilities aren't always easy to find, but they're by no means impossible, as demonstrated by the Rootpipe privilege escalation bug that came to light late last year. Vilaca said a drive-by exploit planted on a hacked or malicious website could be used to trigger the BIOS attack.

[IMHO]

Guys, read

What this researcher is saying is that if we finds a way to execute code on a MAC, he can then modify the BIOS. To be honest, I didn't know that OSX was so locked up that apps with root access are not meant to be able to modify the BIOS - any Windows app can rewrite BIOS.

"To work, an exploit would require a vulnerability that provides the attacker with unfettered "root" access to OS X resources"

Editing Fail:

To work, an exploit would require a vulnerability that provides the attacker with unfettered "root" access to OS X resources. Such vulnerabilities aren't always easy to find, but they're by no means impossible, as demonstrated by the Rootpipe privilege escalation bug that came to light late last year. Vilaca said a drive-by exploit planted on a hacked or malicious website could be used to trigger the BIOS attack.

I quoted the only real truth - which they cleverly surrounded with enough puff to make an exploit seem possible, in order to justify the puff piece it is

[IMHO]

And just to further solidify my point, here's a quote from the Rootpipe story:

Based on the extremely limited information available, there's no indication that Rootpipe can be exploited remotely

so as Ars continues on talking about drive-bys, what they're actually doing is talking out of their Ars with hypotheticals

Note: I admin just over 90 Macs, but I also admin over 190 Windows servers, and another 30+ linux servers (static - dynamic boxes scale into the 1000's) There is always a correct tool for the job. On the desktop, Windows is a farqing nightmare though, no question, no doubt. They make great servers though, so long as you firewall them with proper hardware.

I should also point out we also have 4x Windows Desktops for a special dept. - those 4 boxes take up 99% of my desktop admin time.. the 90+ Mac's take up the other 1%, and that's just pushing out OS updates and the occasional VPN setup or App install.

Edited June 4, 2015 by IMHO

[nullx8]

Since 1998 is it possible to do this whats the hoax about?

Someone learned assembler and want to show it ?

[uksomchai]

It can't possibly be true can it ? What will all those smug mac users do when a poor Windows user who has a problem and posts on here do now ?

They can't just post

" GET A MAC " now can they

Haha you are pitiful.

NO ! Just someone with a sense of humour you appear to lack but as you are probably a Mac user it is understandable

[tominbkk]

It can't possibly be true can it ? What will all those smug mac users do when a poor Windows user who has a problem and posts on here do now ?

They can't just post

" GET A MAC " now can they

Haha you are pitiful.

NO ! Just someone with a sense of humour you appear to lack but as you are probably a Mac user it is understandable

Oh was that humor? I thought it was just another senseless anti-mac posting.

I use PC and Mac, PCs for the first 20 years, Macs in the last 5. I DO NOT miss the constant trouble shooting getting Windows to work, keeping viruses away, etc. I have three macs and have never had a problem with any of them in 5 years of lots of use.