Apple's apps bypass firewalls like LittleSnitch and LuLu on macOS Big Sur

Post by mcyukon » Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 3:23 AM UTC

dylan604 wrote: post #480

mcyukon wrote: post #406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in the same boat, just more from a Photography standpoint. Oldest Mac I own is a 2012 MBP and I really do not see any appeal in any of the newer machines. I built myself fairly high end Mini ITX Windows machine for a fraction of what a comparable Mac would cost. Only downside is having a somewhat bigger PC on my desk. For video editing I was very surprised at how quickly I picked up / understood the Free version…

The one thing the newer machines have are better discrete GPUs. Everything now will use the GPU from web browsing to full on video/photo editing and color correction. Your 2012 GPU might as well be hanging out with Moses its so old in GPU years. The speed difference you'll see in a photo edit standpoint will justify your upgrade. If you are even halfway serious about using Resolve, you cannot put enough GPU power in…

Post by jameshart » Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 3:46 AM UTC

ballenf wrote: post #18

3pt14159 wrote: post #6

This is one of those tough cases where software cuts both ways. Some people are smart, informed developers that install a trusted tool to monitor their traffic and have legitimate reasons to want to inspect Apple traffic. They're dismayed. Most people are the opposite and this move protects the most sensitive data from being easily scooped up or muddled in easily installed apps, or at least easily installed apps that…

I'd argue this opens up a giant attack surface where malicious software will try to route its command and control communication through a protected service. Do we really want to trust that Apple will keep all 50+ of these privileged services fully protected? I think it makes the "world" slightly worse in that it will be harder to discover malware. Little snitch has a small user base, but it's been used to identify ma…

Post by csande17 » Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 3:51 AM UTC

jameshart wrote: post #533

ballenf wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd argue this opens up a giant attack surface where malicious software will try to route its command and control communication through a protected service. Do we really want to trust that Apple will keep all 50+ of these privileged services fully protected? I think it makes the "world" slightly worse in that it will be harder to discover malware. Little snitch has a small user base, but it's been used to identify ma…

If you can get into apple’s system processes, you are already on the other side of the airtight hatchway . You can make sufficient changes to the system at that point that you can certainly mess with any user-installed firewall monitoring.

Post by calciphus » Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 4:09 AM UTC

specialp wrote: post #519

3pt14159 wrote: post #185

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Yes I agree with your first part. There are real drawbacks. But it's like installing a custom HTTPS cert in your OS to inspect potential traffic that malware may use through, say, a Google Doc or Sheet. It's helpful to true professionals dealing with highly sensitive information, but it's ultimately a bigger source of compromise for the vast majority of software users. I don't think there is an easy answer here. That…

I helped a friend of mine with her OS X laptop. She had installed something bad and it installed MITM proxy and its own CA and other things to totally own and inspect all of her web browser traffic including SSL. So these features that we find powerful and informative also do have a dark side for more novice users.

Post by matheusmoreira » Wed, Oct 21, 2020, 4:23 AM UTC

LocalH wrote: post #233

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #20

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You could (and perhaps would) make the same argument about Intel (for providing the processor) or Broadcom (for providing the wifi chip) or Comcast (for providing internet service). And it's true, all of these parties have the ability to use their positions for nefarious purposes. However, I would like to limit that potential as much as possible, partly by creating a stigma against practices that remove control from…

I find it interesting how the needs of legitimate security mesh so well with the industry desires to kill off general-purpose computing for the majority of users