DailyTech - MacBooks Get Hacked Within 60 Seconds

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IT MacBooks Get Hacked Within 60 Seconds
Tuan Nguyen (Blog) - August 4, 2006 12:46 PM

60 comment(s) - last by Pirks.. on Aug 7 at 7:35 PM

Security experts say poor driver design leaves doors wide open

Two security researchers from Black Hat this week revealed a method in which a MacBook can be broken into and taken control of. In fact, the intrusion method is at such a low level that even firewalls and anti-virus applications can't help. Based on flaws in wireless network driver design, Apple's line of MacBooks -- and MacBook Pros -- allows an attacker to remotely bypass the security of the laptop and the operating system.

Jon Ellch and David Maynor from Black Hat say that drivers for Apple's notebooks are developed not in house, but outside using contracted development companies. Ellch says that often times, these development people are under so much pressure from higher management to get working drivers so that companies can rush our products to market. Under circumstances like this, drivers for devices such as wireless network processors enter "the wild" in an untested state.

However, Mayner said that "we're not picking specifically on Macs here, but if you watch those 'Get a Mac' commercials enough, it eventually makes you want to stab one of those users in the eye with a lit cigarette or something." Mayner cites that many of Apple's commercials claim that Macs don't suffer from the same security vulnerabilities that PCs do but in fact, they do.

The team at Black Hat demonstrated that they could circumvent the Wi-Fi security and OS level security in a MacBook and within just 60 seconds, were able to take complete control of the machine. Black Hat demonstrated the technique through a pre-recorded video to prevent anyone from intercepting the wireless network traffic to deconstruct the attack and release it elsewhere. Black Hat said that it has been in contact with both Apple and Microsoft, because the vulnerability exists on both sides.

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RE: Amen

By Pirks on 8/4/2006 7:48:46 PM , Rating: 1

quote:
so you think Apple will reverse the trend of declining marketshare over the past 10 years and triple growth?

No, I don't think it will "reverse" something that does not exist :) Apple was steadily increasing its US market share in recent times starting soon after OS X 10.1 release, and the rate is only accelerating - read some quarterly reports from Apple and pay attention to the number of Macs they've shipped each quarter.

Your blurb about tripling something I'll leave to you - there was no word "triple" in my post so you can keep it to yourself, thank you :-)

quote:
They now have less than 3% global market share of all personal computers sold.

Right, soo.. they have 0.001% in Russia and maybe 0.0001% in East Africa. I know that. Religious PC people like to quote some global or Russian or African numbers. Which is ok for religious guy believing in his own truth etc, but those with little less closed minds try to THINK (no, not different, just think :) and they soon understand that US market is a trend setter in computers. It's American companies like Intel, AMD, Apple, IBM, Sun and so on who set the world trends. If AMD loses US market - say buy to Mr. Ruiz. Same for Intel and everyone else. Then, after THINKING a while the not so closed minded person will ask herself - hmm, if the US market is the trend setter, why don't we look into just US market share and try to interpret it as prediction for the future global market share? You ever tried that? No, you didn't, you have too much religion in your head. If you level it down a bit and think what happens when the world follows USA and, say, the WORLD retail Apple notebook sales reach 12% of market - you know what you realize... so don't even try - like I said before - better stay in your cell and keep windows shut tight, otherwise you risk hurting your eyes :-)

quote:
And they achieved this near oblivion how?

Ask this question in any newly popped up Apple store, the best would be Manhattan's on 5th Avenue, but don't forget take videocamera with you and post the answers on YouTube - I gonna love this show!! Post here when you're done - this might beat even that cool star wars parody in there ;-))

quote:
By continuing to launch superior products at a competitive price points?

Well, you see, Dell and Sony also try to make iMac clones, I mean monoblock PCs, but they set the price twice higher, so what? Did THEY bankrupt? No, they didn't. See, if you turn on a bit of logic, and think (again this stupid word!) about it, you'll see that if company like Sony (or Dell) sells those overpriced monoblock desktop portables for the price MUCH HIGHER than similarly configured iMac, and still enjoys good financial health and nice market share (Sony and Dell enjoy that, and you agree, dontcha?), then how teh heck can they GET INTO OBLIVION if they release the same products CHEAPER than similar product of competitor's?

quote:
you MAC clones crack me up

You PC boneheads make me smile too. Your logic is pretty funny and definitely brings up a smile or two. Just imagine: oh, look, Dell was selling $4000 monoblock PC, and Dell's cool and great, now look! Apple sells the same monoblock PC for half a price of Dell - and what's gonna happen to Apple then? Of course APPLE WILL FINISH ITS LIFE IN TOTAL OBLIVION! And then somebody asks - why so? And you give your standard bonehead's answer - "because it's Apple, stupid!" Nice, very nice - keep it up, we all need our daily simles and you do it great! Thank you again :-)

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"I'd be pissed too, but you didn't have to go all Minority Report on his ass!" -- Jon Stewart on police raiding Gizmodo editor Jason Chen's home