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Apple Cites Open Source Core Security

Posted by pudge on from the you-wily-software-vet-you dept.

ChilyMack writes "In a CNet article, Apple senior vice president Bertrand Serlet says, 'A lot of security problems derive from the core ... [With open source code,] thousands of people look at the critical portions of source code and ... check those portions are right. It's a major advantage to have open-source code.'"

3 of 69 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Evidence too... by node+3 · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Of the few exploits that have arisen, they've mostly been related to the parts of the OS that are still closed"

    That's not even remotely true. When you run Software Update, Apple lists exactly what's being updated and all of the security updates have been primarily updating free software.

    And that doesn't even address your use of the word "exploits" as there have been none to date, just potential exploits and "proofs of concept" that are at best nominal exploits.

  2. Re:Odd they bring this up now by stevey · · Score: 2, Informative

    That's not entirely true, there are many tutorials on discovering and exploiting security holes on Linux / Unix platforms.

    Everything from the classic Smashing The Stack For Fun And Profit paper to more recent ones.

    Bugtraq deliveries daily reports of exploitable flaws in software lots of it for Unix systems - granted that few people use most of the toy packages which people post bugs for, but they still exist and it's still mostly trivial to discover them.

    I audit code and it's depressingly easy to find flaws in Unix software.

  3. Re:Milton was wrong by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 2, Informative

    And in twenty years, your corporation is maximizing profit by selling that medical equipment at incredibly inflated prices. leading to an overall rise in the cost of medical care, and eventually there's a whole class of people (at least in some countries) who can't afford it and die as a result.

    Inflating prices invites competition, that does not maximize profit. Subsidizing needy hospitals in the third world can give me tax write offs, generate good publicity, and strengthen business relationships. Those subsidies can be more cost effective than TV ads, trinkets, and dinners.

    A company driven entirely by profit motive, will, by necessity ...

    You confuse the common with the necessary.