Apple’s New OS Has Severe Security Flaw

Apple’s New OS Has Severe Security Flaw

MacOS Mojave shipped with a bug that allows unauthorized access to a user’s private data.

Apple’s new version of macOS, chock full of new features, also appears to feature a bug that makes users’ private data vulnerable. This bug, found by security researcher Patrick Wardle, allows simple bypass programs to circumvent the computer’s privacy access controls — no permission needed.

In a post to Twitter, Wardle showcased his hack, alongside announcing he had found a day-zero vulnerability in the operating system. In the short video, he runs his bypass program “breakMojave” and proceeds to make good on the program’s name, using it to locate the user’s address book and copy the contents to his desktop.

Wardle called the vulnerability a “trivial, albeit 100% reliable flaw in their implementation.”

Apple addressed a number of security flaws with Mojave’s release, including vulnerabilities in Bluetooth and the application firewall. However, this new flaw, found hours before the OS was released to the public, has not been addressed yet at time of writing. No technical details were released alongside the announcement, to prevent hackers with less benevolent intentions from repeating his processes.

Wardle, who has worked at NASA and the NSA in the past, now works finding MacOS security flaws at Digita Security, of which he is a co-founder.

About the Author

Jordan Lutke is an intern with 1105 Media.

Featured

  • A Break from Routine

    It was three years ago right about now that COVID was bringing the world to its knees. In mid-March of 2020, the president put travel restrictions on all flights in and out of Europe, the NBA suspended its season, and Tom Hanks announced that he’d tested positive for the disease—all in the same night. It was officially a national emergency two days later. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Live From ISC West 2023 Preview

    ISC West 2023 is right around the corner! This year’s trade show is scheduled from March 28–31 at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Campus Security & Life Safety and Security Today staff will be on hand to provide live updates about the security industry’s latest innovations, trends, and products. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
  • Until We Meet Again

    A short three years ago we were all pondering whether to attend any tradeshows all thanks to COVID-19. Sorry to bring that nightmare up again, but it seems that little pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, and it’s time to meet again. Read Now

    • ISC West
  • Cyber Hygiene: What it Looks Like for IoT Devices

    Cyber Hygiene: What it Looks Like for IoT Devices

    For our second pillar about the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Pillars of Security, we are going to discuss what cyber hygiene looks like for IoT devices. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

New Products

  • ABLOY IP54-rated Integrated Dust Cover

    ABLOY IP54-rated Integrated Dust Cover

    One of the things that keep security managers on high alert is the real possibility the security locks used to safeguard their properties may unexpectedly fail due to environmental conditions. 3

  • ComNet NW1 Gen 4

    ComNet NW1 Gen 4

    ComNet, Communication Networks, is announcing the introduction of its Generation 4 line of NetWave® wireless products that offer greater performance and increased stability in applications where throughput and increased bandwidth is increasingly important. 3

  • BIO-key MobileAuth

    BIO-key MobileAuth

    BIO-key International has introduced its new mobile app, BIO-key MobileAuth™ with PalmPositive™ the latest among over sixteen strong authentication factors available for BIO-key's PortalGuard® Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) platform. 3