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How Apple Orchestrated Attack On Researchers

An anonymous reader sends us to George Ou's blog on ZDNet for a tale of how Apple's PR director reportedly orchestrated a smear campaign against security researchers David Maynor and Jon Ellch last summer. Ou has been sitting on this story ever since and is only now at liberty to tell it. He posits that the Month of Apple Bugs was a direct result of Apple's bad behavior in the Maynor-Ellch affair. From the blog: "Apple continued to claim that there were no vulnerabilities in Mac OS X but came a month later and patched their Wireless Drivers (presumably for vulnerabilities that didn't actually exist). Apple patched these 'non-existent vulnerabilities' but then refused to give any credit to David Maynor and Jon Ellch. Since Apple was going to take research, not give proper attribution, and smear security researchers, the security research community responded to Apple's behavior with the MoAB (Month of Apple Bugs) and released a flood of zero-day exploits without giving Apple any notification. The end result is that Apple was forced to patch 62 vulnerabilities in just the first three months of 2007 including last week's megapatch of 45 vulnerabilities."

12 of 389 comments (clear)

  1. Nelson by LurkerXXX · · Score: -1, Troll

    This story deserves a 'haha' in the tagging beta if any ever did.

    Apple got a very deserved smackdown. I hope they handle themselves better in the future.

  2. Apple is Evil. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    As evil as Microsoft. And Jobs is just as bad as Gates. Call me a troll and call this a flamebait, but I truely believe the only way to keep things in check is transparency, open source and community review.

  3. this is goat.sex by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll
  4. Son, we don't like yer type 'round here. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    We don't take kindly to people who point out painful truths about our idols here. Steve Jobs is one of them thar geniouses and everything he has come up with is gold.

    I bet you don't even like that feller in them Apple/Pee Cee commericals.

  5. hows it feel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    how do you fanbois like getting fucked in the ass by faggot faggity apple? do you feel like you've been fucked hard and long? well, you have been. you got the aids in the ass from faggot apple.

  6. Re:Go Figure! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Noone denies Linux has bugs, and noone denies that Windows has bugs, but until recently every Apple apologist from here to cupertino was adamant that OS X was perfect. Amazing how the tune has changed now.

  7. Re:George Ou? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Well, you can't expect a PC user to know his history lessons, can you? I've never met a PC user with any interests outside dorkdom.

  8. When was last time Apply updated Safari? by zmartass · · Score: 0, Troll

    It is amazing that the last update of Safari was made in 2005 (2.0.4). Do you believe Safari is more secure than FF and IE? Apple just is blind to their security problems. It is a company too closed nowadays.

  9. Modding stories. by Narcogen · · Score: 0, Troll

    There needs to be a way to mod this whole item -1 troll.

  10. Re:Stunning. by Slashcrap · · Score: 0, Troll

    This is certainly the most single-sided comment page I've checked out in a while.

    OK, try this one. Macs are shit and you're a whiney little anonymous cocksucker.

    Do I win first prize?

  11. Re:ATTN: Windows/Linux refugees! by Stooshie · · Score: 0, Troll

    ... Leave it to a PC user to interpret "beige" with such brickheaded literalism. ...

    Leave it to a Mac user to mis-interpret sarcasm.

    Anyway, why would Mac users understand imagery better or take thinks less literally?

    Imagery has it's place in literature, art, music etc... And, by all means, use a Mac to create videos/music/photos/artwork, whatever... but don't claim that Mac's are somehow better. PCs can do everything a Mac can.

    By the way, I may be a PC user but My OS of choice is Linux (Ubuntu flavour), Not MS. Oh Wait "My OS of choice". Interesting. Well I suppose you do have a choice:

    • OS10
    • err ...
    • OS10
    • and err ...
    • That's all folks!!!
    --
    America, Home of the Brave. ... .and the Squaw.
  12. Ous Fancy Big Words made everything apocaliptic by flacochala · · Score: 0, Troll

    The biggest problem with journalism, is that they take everything out of proportion. Lets cut the fat of this hole story and you'll notice that there is nothing fantastic or obscure happening here... So, the mere facts [with evidence] are: Some guys found something in a 3rd party wireless card (in the video, they show a 3rd party card, so i can not confirm that the airport has the same problem), they used a macbook to demonstrate what they found because they knew it would generate a fuss. They did NOT contact Apple offering their services as "security counselors" (if that is what they are), and then Apple had to revise their soft and make a few changes to correct some things. So.. Apple does no have to thank anything to SecureWorks, these two guys should not be pissed off, and Ou should shut his mouth and start reading before writing... dont take antyhing for granted, if there is no evidence behind what you are saying, then is better to keep your mouth shut and your ears open.