Mac OS X Users Still At Risk

[Beamtracer]

Status Quo, you must be a Windows user to post something like that.

There are a lot of news items lately about Mac OS X security and viruses. Strange, since there has not been one virus to ever sweep through the Mac OS X community.

I think it's just wishful thinking from Windows people.

[status quo]

its on every major news site.

your post is just wishful thinking of a mac user.

[elvis]

I've spent over 60 hours these last 2 weeks cleaning Sasser from various networks around town. Ditto for Blaster, Netsky and MyDoom when they were released

Thanks to Microsoft, I put a deposite down on a house a year ago. And thanks to Microsoft I can continue to make mortgage repayments.

Oh wait... we're talking about one Apple vulnerability here... Sorry. :)

Back on topic... so how many sites have been affected by this Apple vulnerability? How many hours of downtime have we seen worldwide from this vulnerability? Anyone got a link? (I can link to a million and one stories of Windows sites ACTUALLY BEING INFULTRATED and not just "theoretically vulnerable").

So far I see it as a theoretical risk only. Apple being smart and doing things like turning firewalls on automatically, only allowing programs to run in user space, etc means that these vulnerabilities are greatly reduced even if they do exist.

Lets hope Microsoft learn from Mac, UNIX and Linux and do something good with Longhorn in terms of security.

Hell, lets hope the actually make WinXP SP2 worth the download, and not just filled with DRM crap!



And people call me a troll. :rolleyes:

[Tarrbot]

elvis, I hate to break it to ya, but your "how many sites have ... " scenario is nothing more than anecdotal evidence. Of course you'll see more sites with MS OSes on them being "hacked" or attacked by a vulnerability. In relation to OS X, they outnumber them by the metric assload.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong but the issue here is the possibility of an attack. Quite a few MS vulnerabilities are found beforehand and some shmoe creates something to exploit it.

Secondly, you don't have to be running a "server" to be attacked in this manner. Any Mac OS X user can be affected. Apparently, even the patch Apple released isn't a true fix.

The bottom line is that no OS is secure. NONE. Ranting and raving on and on about who does what or who doesn't do what is rather like some pointless prats who want to piss and moan about George Bush not doing this or not doing that while sipping tea and trying to be "hep" while doing abso-fµcking-lutely nothing to alleviate the problem at hand.

[elvis]

Look out! It's the Tarrbot and status quo team coming to stomp that evil software hippy elvis!

Kick him in the bum! For he dares to speak against giant bloated commercial bastard^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hcompanies!!!1one!

And while we're at it, let's talk about George W! After all, he means absolutely nothing to anyone outside of the US *check's elvis' location*.

It's old guys. Goodnight, and good luck with your crusade. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

[Ice Czar]

Originally posted by Tarrbot
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but the issue here is

actually the issue was they flubbed the patch :p
something Microsoft is famous for, if they bother to patch at all
(ASN1 took 6 months after the public disclosure)
but your right there are few "open" OSs that are secure
some come quite close though, OpenBSD for instance

Originally posted by elvis
let's talk about George W! After all, he means absolutely nothing to anyone outside of the US

Who? :p

A conversation with Lance Spitzner, Sun Microsystems senior security architect (http://www.webtalkguys.com/article-honeynet.shtml)
and Founder of the Honeynet Project (http://project.honeynet.org/) regarding who, where, why, how, and what ;)

[status quo]

also i didn't get infected and i am not running anti virus or firewall.

i like linux. i'm just realistic. it doesn't have the finances/staff/time/experience.

[hmurchison]

I do find it odd that the mere "potential" of a security risk on a Mac warrants frontpage coverage when in comparison actual windows networks are being affected by very real worms and virus.

No OS is secure but I find that there are those in the press that want Apple to have a little comeuppance and eat some humble pie. C'est la guerre. Apple is taking it in stride.

I'm perfectly content to forgo any real damage in lie of warnings that will be patched before harm can be done. Win/Win

[Tarrbot]

elvis, no one is kicking you for speaking out against something. Please reread my statement.

I did not pursue ad hominem attacks nor did I "kick" you.

I pointed out your error of logic in using an example as well as pointed out the error of logic in assuming this was a server issue only.

hmurchison, it isn't odd. MS problems are front page in many places. Even the "potential" problems.

There is a "real" problem here whether it is "potential" or not. Burying your head in the sand and acting as if it isn't a problem (or validating head-burying by comparing it to MS) is not very bright.

The problem exists. Nothing you or I say will change this.

[Jhavna]

In the end, there are no 100% secure systems. Except if you lock them in box and don't connect to the internet or any network... or just never switch it on.

*nix based systems suffer from exploits in services and other applications, that can be exploited remotely or locally. It's just that nix systems don't suffer from the same crap that MS OSes suffer from, which is unwantedly running arbitrary code from emails or where ever, and also letting that code just tromp around modifying every file and executing tasks etc it pleases.
With proper access permissions, program patches etc systems can be made MORE secure and less vulnerable. But someone out there is always looking for a way in, and most of the time they'll find it. If nix systems were that secure, why would we need iptables?

The reason a Mac exploit get's front page news is that it's rare. No one really cares anymore if Windows let's in another malicious script patched together from other script snippets, it happens all the time, hence why more and more people are getting firewalls and AVs. A while ago there was no real need for firewalls, and perhaps you'd have an AV, but hey.. if you were carefula nd didn't click on every executable that you got your mits on, things were ok.... To this day, the user is still the greatest security risk on a system!

well, that's my piece.... toodles :wavey:

[onlooker]

I think Jhavna hit the nail on the head here. The reason it's front page is because A) it's not common, and B) there is nothing else to report that warrants news.
The silly thing is that theoretically every OS is vulnerable, and we all new that, but this page decides to make it seem like big news, and give it the appearance of it being a much bigger deal than it actually is.
There has not been an affected, or infected system so far, and Apple patched part of the problem within a few hours. An Independent software developer unsanity patched the other half of the problem a few hours later. I thought the so called problem was solved in record time due to the diligent efforts of Apple, and their highly active developer community. Who incidentally both do a great job in maintaining a really terrific OS.

[kex]

children - grrrrrrrrrrr snappy finger

were are your manners


jhavna :thumbsup:
i think you got it right

its a rareity and the media love the unusal

oh a and status quo "keep on troll'in" :wavey:

[Saurus]

It depends what “front page cover” means. As far as TV news and newspapers are concern, I think MS gets more coverage about worms and virus. In fact I don’t remember any TV or newspaper covering Mac viruses. The only Apple news I come across are the ones in the business section. And they mostly talk about Apple’s Ipod and online music profit, and Steve Job’s business transactions. I think when news hits TV and newspaper, then I consider it front-page material. Technology base news and Internet base news, will publish anything that concern them, front-page or not.

saurus

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