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Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

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Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#341

Post by brudgers »

syllogism wrote: post #308
brudgers wrote: post #283

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I prefer and run Linux. However, troubleshooting Linux issues, even on Ubuntu is a pain in the ass. The fact that Google's page rank favors older stable pages in search results is a factor. A forum post from 2004 is not the best source of information in regards to dual monitors (and xrandr). 2007 instructions for changing the default boot will be based around Grub. I shouldn't adjust ~/.bash_login in 14.10 despite wh…

On the Google search results page, click "search tools", and change "any time" to e.g. "past year".

That's exactly the sort of situation I am talking about. When there is a problem with some piece Ubuntu's ecosystem, the answer is "It's not Ubuntu's fault, RTFM for ."

Knowing that information about Ubuntu goes out of date and that changing the search criteria helps: [1] doesn't make Ubuntu less complex [2] prevents it from being as user friendly as Windows for a broad audience.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#342

Post by baldfat »

evilduck wrote: post #294
baldfat wrote: post #273

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A biased person isn't credible? What did I say that was factually wrong or personal opinion. I don't like Apple products (Locked down and no fun for a hacker and expensive) I have no credibility since I don't like a company? What about the opposite people who like the company? Credible people are always upfront with their biases. I never trust anyone that says they are neutral.

Of course not. You're admitting and prideful that you aren't going to look at things fairly, and your complaints are therefore unhelpful, naive and very likely wrong to boot. People who simply like Apple are not uncredible, though a fanboy would be, for similar but opposite reasons. Credible people are aware of their biases and strive to overcome them. When you embrace your biases like you have, you're just offering…

> very likely wrong to boot

Well the answer to that is when someone says something you call for proof. You don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. That's what I do with David Pouge and Walt Mossberg. But I usually get my news from Tech Press that has been black balled by Apple.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#343

Post by coldtea »

sls wrote: post #239
wwweston wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep. JWZ used to say that Linux is only free if you don't value your time. OS X has many merits on this front, but since 10.3 I've found that the first few dot releases of OS X have the same caveats often enough (both in terms of bugs/hazards and in terms of gratuitous UI "progress") that it usually seems better to wait past .x.4/5. Now there's this, of course. Since the problem showed up in 2011, maybe I should go b…

> JWZ used to say that Linux is only free if you don't value your time. My reply to that has always been that Windows is only $300 if you don't value your time. (Preserving archaic cost of Windows to match JWZ quote.) The implication that the one system is free and time-consuming and the other moderately in price but not time-consuming is entirely false. At the time, for many requirements, configuring and administeri…

>The implication that the one system is free and time-consuming and the other moderately in price but not time-consuming is entirely false.

Haven't found that to be the case. And I'm an old UNIX hat, using SUN OS, HP UX et al in the early nineties and Linux from around 1998. My two observations:

1) Linux, even the most modern distro like Ubuntu, is a huge time sync for anyone that's not just content to browse the web and check mail in a system setup for them.

2) More users that we think are in that category (besides the proverbial "grandparents" perhaps).

You got a video from your wedding you need to edit? Might or might not work. You got a hobby that requires you to use a specific peripheral (like a soundcard) or software? Do you feel lucky? You got a new phone you need to sync? Prepare for an adventure...

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#344

Post by baldfat »

mwfunk wrote: post #189
jotux wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which was a response to: >Apple's model customer is one who upgrades often. If you want solid support for old products, stick with Microsoft, and accept that their products can be clunkier because of deliberate choices to maintain backwards-compatibility. He was rebutting that regular upgrades are somehow a type of revenue to apple since they are free and work on some previous generation hardware. How is that apologe…

It sounds apologetic to him because he's more interested in tribalism than business or technology. It's not unlike much religious fundamentalism- the pursuit of truth takes a back seat to the pursuit of feeling like you're right about things, especially if it means you get to hate a caricature of some other group of people and blame some of your personal disappointments on them. A similar force seems to drive politic…

How is it good business sense to have 5 years support for hardware? I have much older hardware doing very productive things also my non-profit couldn't afford to upgrade every desktop every five years and update every desktop's OS every year.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#345

Post by MBCook »

72deluxe wrote: post #321
MBCook wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm currently running the latest version of Yosemite. I have a 2010 MacBook Pro 15 inch with eight gigs of RAM and an SSD. I've had little bugs and fiddly bugs with Safari and a few other things, but I really thinks it has worked fine for years and years on the machine. It noticeably improved when they added RAM compression (was that Mavericks?). I don't find the graphics a problem at all, although they do look bette…

Did you upgrade to an SSD? I have a 2012 MBP non-retina with a slow Toshiba drive in it (it seems it is entirely coincidental whether you'll get a Toshiba or Samsung in your new MacBook!) and I am considering upgrading to an SSD. I use BootCamp (periodic Windows gaming) and have a bunch of large VMs within OSX, so I would be interested in how the upgrade went and where to look, how to clone my disk etc. etc.

Yes. It makes all the difference in the world, far more than the additional RAM.

Upgrade was an easy drive pull and replace, and I just restored from Time Machine to get all my data back. No fuss.

But I don't have a windows partition or anything else special. I imagine it will be a bit more work for you since you'll need to backup the Windows partition and restore it.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#346

Post by arbitrage »

williamstein wrote: post #292

I upgraded my 2014 15" rMBP and it killed the wifi, so now ping times have gone from about 12ms to several thousand or nothing. https://medium.com/@mariociabarra/wifried-ios-8-wifi-perform... no longer works. Depressing. I miss my chromebook.

You could sell your rMBP and use the proceeds to buy like 4-5 chromebooks.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#347

Post by s_q_b »

72deluxe wrote: post #325
s_q_b wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I booted up one of those G3 candy colored clamshell iBooks from the early 2000s recently. Not only did start flawlessly, it found and connected to the WiFi, and actually loaded Google on Internet Explorer for Mac.

Out of interest, did it display the results pages from Google alright? Or was the CSS and JavaScript etc. not recognised? Was it usable, speedwise, as a machine?

As a word processor, typing out some code, or as a spreadsheet machine, yes, it was perfectly serviceable.

It worked with very little of the modern web, however.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#349

Post by syllogism »

brudgers wrote: post #341
syllogism wrote: post #308

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the Google search results page, click "search tools", and change "any time" to e.g. "past year".

That's exactly the sort of situation I am talking about. When there is a problem with some piece Ubuntu's ecosystem, the answer is "It's not Ubuntu's fault, RTFM for ." Knowing that information about Ubuntu goes out of date and that changing the search criteria helps: [1] doesn't make Ubuntu less complex [2] prevents it from being as user friendly as Windows for a broad audience.

Mate I just thought you didn't know that feature and it might help you.

I don't use Ubuntu.

Re: Hidden backdoor API to root privileges in Apple OS X

#350

Post by cheald »

andreyf wrote: post #257
cheald wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Local privilege escalation is always bad because it means you're one malware payload or RCE away from being rooted and conscripted into someone's botnet (or worse). This isn't just a physical access concern.

What about without local privilege escalation? Is there no way for a malware payload or RCE to turn your computer into a botnet without root privileges?

There certainly is, but rooting a box lets you ensure that you stuff says in place. Once a box is rooted, its owner can never really be sure they have it clean without wiping and rebuilding it.
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