Mac OS X hacked in 30 minutes? Not quite

Iria · Mar 8, 2006, 08:47 PM

Claims of Mac OS X being hacked in less than 30 minutes are not quite what they seem, according to Dave Schroeder, Senior Systems Engineer at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

A recent ZDNet article told the story of a Swedish man who set up his Mac mini as a server and invited people to try to break into the system and gain root control. Having root control of a computer allows you to install applications, move or delete files.

Within hours of the challenge going live, it was over, as a hacker gained root control of the Mac mini. However, Schroeder says the article failed to mention some of the key reasons why the hacker was able to gain access to the computer.
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Read More / Source: Macworld

IvanV · Mar 9, 2006, 11:20 AM

These guys really take care of their rep...
Right, the contestants were granted a local account, so the attack came from the inside. But I somehow don't think that anyone in a corporate envirement finds that comforting.

WaltC · Mar 9, 2006, 11:39 AM

I also found it amusing that he ended the contest after a mere 38 hours and then declared "OSX is not hackable!"...

Golly, I didn't know that hackers were on 38-hour time limits! I would have been more impressed had the challenge been publicized nationally before it began and had it run for 38 days (or weeks), or until hacked, whichever comes first.

big_D · Mar 9, 2006, 04:49 PM

He didn't end it, he had put the Mac Mini on the University network and opened up the competition without informing the "powers that be" at the Uni. The Uni's CIO actually closed it, not the professor, claiming that they didn't want increased security risks on the network by requesting hackers to access property on the uni internal network, they also weren't too chuffed with the extra traffic the hacking attempts and general visitors to the Mac Mini's site were causing, bandwidth that should have been available for authorised research projects and students...

The CIO said she was happy for the professor to find an alternative hosting service for the Mac Mini and to run the experiment further, just he can't do on the Uni's network...

Mar 8, 2006, 08:47 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	Mac OS X hacked in 30 minutes? Not quite Claims of Mac OS X being hacked in less than 30 minutes are not quite what they seem, according to Dave Schroeder, Senior Systems Engineer at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. A recent ZDNet article told the story of a Swedish man who set up his Mac mini as a server and invited people to try to break into the system and gain root control. Having root control of a computer allows you to install applications, move or delete files. Within hours of the challenge going live, it was over, as a hacker gained root control of the Mac mini. However, Schroeder says the article failed to mention some of the key reasons why the hacker was able to gain access to the computer. ___________ Read More / Source: Macworld

Mar 9, 2006, 11:20 AM	#2
IvanV HH Assassin Guild Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 5,914 Rep Power: 333 System Specs	These guys really take care of their rep... Right, the contestants were granted a local account, so the attack came from the inside. But I somehow don't think that anyone in a corporate envirement finds that comforting. __________________ If anyone has Portal 2 and hasn't played the co-op and wants to do me a favour, let me know (PM me or whatever).

Mar 9, 2006, 11:39 AM	#3
WaltC DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: May 2003 Location: Deep in Martian soil where it's warm and the air is good Posts: 245 Rep Power: 0	I also found it amusing that he ended the contest after a mere 38 hours and then declared "OSX is not hackable!"... Golly, I didn't know that hackers were on 38-hour time limits! I would have been more impressed had the challenge been publicized nationally before it began and had it run for 38 days (or weeks), or until hacked, whichever comes first.

Mar 9, 2006, 04:49 PM	#4
big_D DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: München, Germany Posts: 58 Rep Power: 0	He didn't end it, he had put the Mac Mini on the University network and opened up the competition without informing the "powers that be" at the Uni. The Uni's CIO actually closed it, not the professor, claiming that they didn't want increased security risks on the network by requesting hackers to access property on the uni internal network, they also weren't too chuffed with the extra traffic the hacking attempts and general visitors to the Mac Mini's site were causing, bandwidth that should have been available for authorised research projects and students... The CIO said she was happy for the professor to find an alternative hosting service for the Mac Mini and to run the experiment further, just he can't do on the Uni's network...