Paphos Life

A few headless chickens are running around at Apple.

Exposed is the word of the day:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42161823

Edited to add part of the above article. I was on my mobile phone earlier and that was an impossible task - hence the reason I only posted the link.

Apple has said it is working to fix a serious bug within its Mac operating system.
The flaw in MacOS High Sierra - the most recent version - makes it possible to gain entry to the machine without a password, and also have access to powerful administrator rights.
“We are working on a software update to address this issue,” Apple said in a statement.
The bug was discovered by Turkish developer Lemi Ergin.
He found that by entering the username "root", leaving the password field blank, and hitting "enter" a few times, he would be granted unrestricted access to the target machine.

That's unbelievable!

Dominic wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:52 pm That's unbelievable!

It is things like this which is why I am sticking to Windows 7 (64 bit) and IE11.
Amos.

exodus wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:53 pm

Dominic wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 12:52 pm That's unbelievable!

It is things like this which is why I am sticking to Windows 7 (64 bit) and IE11.
Amos.

Haha.... good luck!

If you think Windows is more secure than MacOS.... well...

This is a major flaw.... as Microsoft and all other OS systems have suffered over the years....

I'm afraid I'll stick with my Mac OS, with no Virus(ii) Trojans or other nasties, before I'll use an OS that allows any application to be installed on it....

Just tried it on my MAC....

The normal login screen (unless it has been set specifically to do it) will not show "Root" as a user to be able to login...

You therefore need to restart the MAC, use a multi-finger process to take it through a Darwin boot-up procedure, where you then need to be able to use Terminal-Type commands to login there.... Obviously a serious flaw, BUT would not allow someone to casually login to a computer. They'd need unrestricted access. They also couldn't do it remotely, as other services would need to run to keep a connection....

Yep my Mac's are both safe.

And it gets better..... or not

But the "root" password bug is not as isolated a case as it might at first seem.
Last month, Apple had to release a patch for another password-related issue in High Sierra.
Some users found that when they asked the software for a password hint it simply revealed the password in full instead.
While High Sierra appears to be falling over itself to give users access, there have also been issues with iOS - the software on iPhones and iPads

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-42166438

Or, as that last article says..... are Apple getting sloppy and rushing the next "big thing" through too quickly without checking properly first?

Two things so close together makes those eye watering prices a bit questionable, methinks.

Agree Hudswell.... I’m sure if we ever share a few beers sometime, Apple will be a safe conversation piece....

I have no envy for people who feel they have to have the very latest Apple products..... we left those "must have" days far behind when we moved to Cyprus from the UK in 2004. The need hasn't returned since we came back to UK over 18 months ago

I had a Samsung android phone for a few years in Cyprus and never really liked it, whereas now I have a Windows operated mobile phone which does everything I need and is extremely simple to use. Nobody really creates Apps for Windows anymore but that isn't a problem for me. I don't want my whole life on my mobile, neither do I want it on a tablet (which I do not have).

Our desktops and my laptops have all worked perfectly well and done so prior to and for the years I was in Cyprus, whilst travelling and since returning to UK. Our desktop and laptop are each on for at least 12hrs a day, we've never had a virus or a crash through spam/adware or any other misadventure. We run a small business from home and our income is pretty much dependent on it.

Yep, they're all Windows operated! The phones cost us less than €170 for both of them when we purchased them in Cyprus.
My laptop was less than £350 and hubby's desktop cost less than £400 because he also needed a new display screen.

I'd rather have my money in the bank than in Apple's pocket Says she who still has more than 6yrs to go before the UK pension kicks in but refuses to go out of the house to work until the time arrives....

This makes for interesting reading, it's at the bottom of the 2nd link I gave:

"Apple's quality of business execution is slipping," says Neil Mawston, at Strategy Analytics. He believes the company is becoming "more prone" to business and product glitches.
As a result, Mr Mawston thinks Apple's reputation for offering premium quality and reliability could be at risk.

Bug bounty
Cyber-security expert Prof Alan Woodward, at the University of Surrey, agrees.
"There's definitely a growing perception that perhaps their quality control is not all it should be," he says.
"I use Apple products... because of the level of encryption and the attention they pay to apps in their app store. You didn't used to get these sorts of bugs."
He also points out that while Apple was once a niche brand favoured largely by computing connoisseurs in a handful of industries, today it is a true giant.
That makes its devices increasingly attractive targets for hackers, who tend to look for vulnerabilities in the most popular systems because that way they have more opportunities to scam people or steal vulnerable data.

The security fix is out, so Apple users can update already.

I love this age old topic, because it brings together all the people who are at each other's throats in the politics section.

(Not including Photolady here. )

I'm sure I have read that the Windows phones were so successful they are no longer developed!

And yet, here I am reading your comments and replying to you from my defunct windows phone..... How marvellous is that, eh?

Time for bed said Zebedee....

Let's see what joyous headlines await us tomorrow. I do so enjoy pressing your buttons

We're off out early in the morning so not sure if I will be around first thing. I've got some hungry mouths to feed and also a couple of tortoises to see to before we head off over the river.

Au revoir xxx

Nokia and Microsoft are two companies who totally underestimated apple. Nokia eventually sold its phone business to Microsoft, who killed it. Neither understood that consumer choice drives need and unfortunately they and RIm (blackberry) suffered. I say unfortunate as it is good for the consumer to have competition.

Who would have predicted 30, 20 or even 10 years ago that the only desktop/laptop/tablet/phone hardware IBM would sell, would be Apple’s?

Any of these companies could have bought Apple for a song....





... and killed them as well.....