[ news_security_news ]
MacBook Hack May Be Irrelevant
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2006-08-18
 Insider Reports RSS Feed
At the Black Hat conference, researchers took over a MacBook by exploiting a flaw in the machine's wireless software driver. Apple fans everywhere gasped in horror. Now, Apple has stepped forward to say, in essence, "it's not our problem." And it looks like the company is right.
"Despite SecureWorks being quoted saying the Mac is threatened by the exploit demonstrated at Black Hat, they have provided no evidence that in fact it is," said Apple Director of Mac PR, Lynn Fox, to Macworld. Then she made her big point.
"To the contrary, the SecureWorks demonstration used a third party USB 802.11 device - not the 802.11 hardware in the Mac - a device which uses a different chip and different software drivers than those on the Mac."
"Further," Fox continued, "SecureWorks has not shared or demonstrated any code in relation to the Black Hat-demonstrated exploit that is relevant to the hardware and software that we ship." It's as if the SecureWorks researchers had put a Kia engine into a Camry, and then blamed Toyota for any ensuing problems. (Kia, to its credit, has improved its products over the last few years, but I had to pick on somebody).
David Maynor and "Johnny Cache" were responsible for the hack. Maynor, Macworld reported, had "told the Washington Post at the time that they demoed the flaw on the Mac because of the ‘Mac user base aura of smugness on security.'" Without commenting on Apple's corporate demeanor, I'd have to say that the men failed to humiliate the company, and perhaps only embarrassed themselves.
Tag: Apple
Add to  Del.icio.us |  Digg |  Yahoo! My Web |  Furl
Get all the updates in RSS: 
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews. InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
More news_security_news Articles
Insider Reports RSS Feed
|
|
iEntry 10th Anniversary
RSS
Archive
