MacBook Highly Vulnerable Via Wireless

Still, the presenters said they ultimately decided to run the demo against a Mac due to what Maynor called the "Mac user base aura of smugness on security."

"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," Maynor said.

"The main problem here is that device drivers are a funny mix of stuff put together by hardware and software developers, and these guys are often under the gun to produce the code that will power products that the manufacturer is often in a hurry to get to market."

This is a big story for several reasons. First it shoots a pretty big hole in the "bulletproof" image Apple is trying to project (notice the words Maynor used in the Krebs interview).

Second, it isn't just about Macs. The vulnerabilities apparently can also be found in Centrino-based laptops as well.

Third, by nature, attackers (aka security researchers) are swarm organisms. That means they will see Maynor's work as a beacon to follow toward a new cache of useful vulnerabilities. And finally, the really bad guys are already using these flaws (and are frustrated that Maynor is making them public).