Yet Another Mac OS X Protocol Handler Exploit

Rosyna writes "Apple just can't get any breaks lately. First the help protocol handler exploit (which has been fixed), then the telnet handler exploit, and now an exploit for any arbitrary protocol handler: make your own, then exploit it. You can auto mount a volume in Mac OS X via the disk, afp, or ftp handlers (and probably others). Paranoid Android will help prevent exploitation until Apple fixes the problem." The hole here is that when a volume with an application on it is mounted, Apple registers the application's specified protocol handlers, without additional user action. Another option is to disable those handlers that allow volume mounting, but playing that game, obviously, isn't a guaranteed win in the long run.

Comments

As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[Anonymous Coward]

I love my Apple computers and I adore OS X.

That said, I'm immensley releived the floodgates to OS X exploitation have finally been thrown open.

Allow me to explain.

Too long Apple users have gloated (senselessley) that OS X is somehow more secure than Windows. This collective delusion has lulled everyone into a false sense of security. Being one of the few who bothers to "secure" his OS X installation, I am often jeered at for being paranoid - uneccesarily so, according to my detractors.

But the truth is that no software sytem is perfect. This is the wake-up call Apple and its users to realise they need to watch out too. I relish this because taking action *now* too purge OS X of its deficiencies will prevent the pitiful scene common to Windows users. I don't want OS X exploited on a daily basis as happens with Windows. I want OS X to be secure!

There will be much displeasure in the short-term, but that which does not kill us only makes us stronger.

Re:As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[norkakn]

No, it isn't perfect

But I would still claim that OSX's security is better than XP's

Re:As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[yotaku]

Absolutely. And the same thing would happen with any other OS that was setup and used by anyone not in the computer elite. There will always be holes in the OS. But given careful administration, most are not too much of a problem. This is true for OS X, Windows, and *nix.

I just hope, as you say that it will shut the Mac fans up about their "immune OS that will never suffer from security holes as windows does". Guess what, it will - and has.

Re:As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[Jord]

I love the way this comment was presented. Sounds like some finely crafted FUD more than anything else. Yes an exploit has been found in OSX. Does that make OSX as vulnerable as Windows, not even close, not even on the same planet.

Windows has had so many exploits that I can't even keep track. One exploit, not even a root exploit (a very important distinction) does not make OSX as vulnerable as Windows. There still are no worms, no viruses attributed to OSX.

Yes this was due. It was going to happen. But OSX is still infinitely more secure than windows and more than likely always will be. Lets not fly off half-cocked and make wild statements like this.

Re:As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[mikedaisey]

I agree with your sentiment--I want a secure system, and seeing it challenged early will help it be so. But the fact of the matter is that OSX ships by default many degrees of magnitude more secure than Windows does.

Yes, this has resulted in some unnecessary gloating from Macheads, and it makes folks lazy with their security--that's unfortunate. But that doesn't diminish the security successes Apple's had with OS X.

Re:As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[Jord]

I suggest you take a look at track records before spouting off about who is better at what.

I am not saying that OS X is perfect. Far from it, I am a programmer myself and I understand the realities of software design. However based on track records alone, OS X is far ahead of even the most current windows implementation. How many exploits are there that auto install software on OS X? None. How many worms are there for OS X? None. How many pieces of auto-installing spyware are there for OS X? None. How many viruses? None. OS X IS more secure that windows. It's not perfect but I will put my money behind the security in OS X any day.

In any event, it was completely expected that the Windows zealots would come out of the woodwork as soon as the first vulnerability was found in OS X. Now it begins. We will see plenty of zealots crying how no operating system is safe. Guess what, windows is still a poorly written piece of garbage and no amount of throwing mud (or fud) is going to change that.

Re:As an Apple Afficionado, I'm delighted.

[Jord]

The large audience argument has been mentioned many many times in the past and personally I disagree with it. There is a real world example of this exact situation. Microsoft IIS. It's "market percentage" is very tiny and yet it gets hit with worms because it is insecure. On the other hand, Apache which has a huge market percentage does not get it because it is secure.

Granted this is dumbing down the details by a HUGE amount but the point is still there. Microsoft software does not have the most worms/viruses/etc because it has the most market share, it has the most worms/viruses/etc because it is the most poorly written. Granted, if their market share was zero, then obviously the exploits would not be big news, but the clear point that is made is that if OS X were as vulnerable as Windows we would be seeing worms and viruses. The fact that there are none reported goes a long way to show the strength of the operating system.

BTW you could easily replace OS X with BSD, Linux in this statement and the statement still holds true. Software written with security in mind is clearly more secure. Windows was clearly not written with security in mind.

It just works!

[OneDeeTenTee]

Seriously though, once Linux becomes a real choice for average desktop users we'll be seeing Linux exploits as well.

Re:How this hole was discovered

[Fulkkari]

I'm a bit amazed on how well the Mac community have co-operated in finding these security flaws. Even though the flaws are always bad things, this just shows how strong the community actually is. And it sure feels good to be a part of it.

Re:How this hole was discovered

[Midnight Thunder]

this just shows how strong the community actually

It does, but it also shows the importance of community. This is one thing that I feel should be taken into account when creating a product. If you can create a community around your product then people will dicuss what they like, what they don't like and generally people will talk about your product. All this needs be, to start with, is a help forum will provision for generalised discussion. If people are part of the community then they are likely to help push the product.

Re:Also uses meta-refresh

[Graymalkin]

The disk: protocol is designed to automount images off the web, that is why it exists in the first place. Developers can offer up images off their sites users can mount directly so there's no need to download the image, install the app, and delete the image. Once the app is installed the user can just unmount it. It is a nice functionality but Apple needs to sandbox the process since an image mounted off the web should be untrusted.

Re:Fear Bill G, Fear!

[agibbs]

I know you're being funny, but has anyone actually seen any malicious exploits out there for this? I haven't heard of any. Not that this lessens the gravity of this exploit, but it is interesting. Also, I don't believe this is a hole for viruses, again someone can do a hell of a lot of damage with a simple rm -rf ~ but I don't think this has the potential to open the door to worms viruses etc.