This MacBook Wi-Fi Hack drama has been quite a rollercoaster ride over the last couple of months. Brian Krebs kicked off by publishing the controversial "Hijacking a MacBook in 60 seconds or less" story, then SecureWorks felt the need to clarify they weren't using the built-in drivers for the demo. John Gruber helped to debunk the situation and then offered a challenge to help settle it, while the entire time, SecureWorks maintained that they had submitted evidence and code to Apple, and everything would soon be revealed. To what was likely at least a few surprised reactions, Apple ultimately released a wireless security update, patching flaws that sound similar to those that David Maynor and John Ellch claimed to have found, while telling Macworld's Jim Dalrymple that the dynamic duo didn't actually lend a hand in finding or solving the exploits, save for making quite a public stink that they might exist. Apple says the situation inspired an internal audit which led them to find the exploits on their own. As many have already pointed out: either these two hackers - one of whom has an affinity for lit cigarettes and Mac users' eyes - are lying, or Apple - an international corporation with billions staked on their reputation for security - is lying.
Fortunately, Crazy Apple Rumors is up to their humorous selves again, and this time they've found the thorn in this entire situation's side. Their conclusion is surprising, and it's unfortunate no one caught this sooner, but this can hopefully let us put the matter to rest, or at least have a laugh until the next episode.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-26-2006 @ 9:30AM
Grover said...
"patching some of the very flaws David Maynor and John Ellch claimed to have found,"
As far as we know right now, this is untrue. We can say they were both related to wireless security, but theirs not enough info available to the public to state that it's the same issue.
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9-26-2006 @ 9:37AM
Grover said...
Oh and Apple PR has stated definitively that that it is not the same issue.
I know this is intended as a funny post, but casually stating untrue things like this is how that information becomes "fact" in the collective mind of the public. So just for the record and all that...
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9-26-2006 @ 10:12AM
Michel said...
NO
Apple told they made an internal audit because of the story and found SOME _potential_ (maybe, perhaps) , POTENTIAL, issues _NOT_ RELATED to the whole fuss.
and Apple even explains the hackers NEVER told Apple informations.
--
apple is VERY cautious. They were stressful to tell it was ONLY POTENTIAL issues and NOT the so-called security hack they claimed.
read the Apple text, it's a model of enterprise communication to tell there are nothing to tell but we tell it anyway :) (but so sadly not enough red-bright big letter to be well read...)
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9-26-2006 @ 10:40AM
Bruno said...
Maynor and Ellch: Your 15 minutes are up.
I don't remember anything like this happening on the Mac platform for quite a long time. This really polarized some people. Speculation, lies and all that stuff that makes for interesting reading. Too bad it's about something so mundane. I also wonder if it would have been such a huge issue if not for the shoddy reporting from ZDNet and Cnet staffers. It borders on fabrication.
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9-26-2006 @ 12:55PM
Dar the Monk said...
Dispite the issues with the post, the linked "article" is pretty funny. Thanks for the laugh guys. Ubuntu... Ha.
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9-26-2006 @ 3:58PM
Liquidmark said...
Ubuntu...
Hahahahahahahahaha
I can't see where the confusion is. I mean they ARE exactly the same right? [/sarcasm]
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9-26-2006 @ 8:02PM
Steffo said...
yeah, it was a pretty cool article. I like how emails from Secureworks contain the word "dump" too.
To be honest, this is all just one big fuss about literally nothing. What Maynor and Ellch proved was that if you control the factors then you can "hack" a computer. But seeing as they had to use 3rd party hardware and software on BOTH the PC and Mac, it totally nullifies the entire demonstration.
How many people do you know with a mac that has built in wireless that uses a 3rd party wireless card? thats right... NONE!
and anyway, how can Apple address problems in their software to a flaw that required a 3rd party piece of kit? its just totally and utterly dumb.
and to all the people that think that Apple owes Maynor and Ellch anything, they owe them nothing. The only reason why they released any patch at all was to appease all those people worried because they heard that a mac had been hacked and didnt look into it. Apple simply pull a PR stunt and theyre out of the problem..
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9-29-2006 @ 11:46PM
BKWatch said...
Bruno:
With all respect, the crappy reporting started with Brian Krebs of the Washington Post. ZDNET didn't get bad until later.
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