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Apple Still Has Not Patched the DNS Hole

Posted by kdawson on from the get-with-it-already dept.

Steve Shockley notes an article up at TidBITS on Apple's unexplained failure to patch the DNS vulnerability that we have been discussing for a few weeks now. "Apple uses the popular Internet Systems Consortium BIND DNS server, which was one of the first tools patched, but Apple has yet to include the fixed version in Mac OS X Server, despite being notified of vulnerability details early in the process and being informed of the coordinated patch release date."

23 of 296 comments (clear)

  1. Typical Apple Situation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Waiting for the port.

  2. t3h horror! by TheSHAD0W · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are there any statistics on how many Macs are being utilized as DNS servers? Is it more than three? [runs away]

    1. Re:t3h horror! by Annymouse+Cowherd · · Score: 5, Funny

      I would bet it's about as many as are being used as servers, which is not many.

    2. Re:t3h horror! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I'm not sure. But what I do know is that the patch is going to require a hardware upgrade; Apple would have it no other way.

      [runs and hides]

    3. Re:t3h horror! by Fast+Thick+Pants · · Score: 4, Funny

      Either that, or a $20 charge for "new features"...

    4. Re:t3h horror! by JanneM · · Score: 5, Funny

      Either that, or a $20 charge for "new features"...

      Come now, give Apple some credit. This isn't just some run-of-the-mill bug, this is a serious security issue that could cause their customers some serious harm if not fixed.

      I'd expect $100 at least; or perhaps they'll introduce the innovative "iLease", with a "lease to own" path for the fixed bug where it's patched permanently on your server after only three years of monthly bug fix rental.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    5. Re:t3h horror! by Chris+Burkhardt · · Score: 3, Funny

      Are there any statistics on how many Macs are being utilized as DNS servers?

      My Mac mini is being used as a caching DNS server for my home network... but it's running djbdns.

      --
      "And there be unix which have made themselves unix for the kingdom of heaven's sake." - Matt. 19:12
    6. Re:t3h horror! by Nerdfest · · Score: 4, Funny

      Heh Heh ... Lease to pwn.

    7. Re:t3h horror! by Rick+Bentley · · Score: 4, Funny

      You can download the patch from Apple for free, but only from i-tunes, and you can install it on any hardware you want ... for the price of a lawsuit.

      [runs, hides, and gets a new slashdot username]

      --
      My favorite quote doesn't fit into 120 characters. Now no one will like me.
  3. The patch is undocumented by commodoresloat · · Score: 5, Funny

    The problem is that they didnt apply the patch to the OS; they applied a patch directly to the Reality Distortion Field, ensuring that this isn't a vulnerability in the first place.

  4. Apple codestandards by krod4 · · Score: 1, Funny

    The genius coders at Apple probably saw this bug years ago and fixed it then. Of course there is no need for a patch now.

  5. Mac OS X ...Server? by sexconker · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wait, what?

    1. Re:Mac OS X ...Server? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Wow, sounds great, tell me more about the security, i want to use their super-slick interface for my DNS servers.

    2. Re:Mac OS X ...Server? by tim_of_war · · Score: 3, Funny

      Apple can't walk into an organization and sell them five hundred Macs ...

      We'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

  6. I guess Microsoft have found the focus of their.. by Channard · · Score: 2, Funny

    .. $500 million 'Why Vista is better than Apple because we say so' campaign.

  7. Re:I guess Microsoft have found the focus of their by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    whats this Vista you all speak of?

  8. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  9. Re:Slashdot and Apple Schizophrenia by LostCluster · · Score: 1, Funny

    I think this article we hate Apple because they missed a release date on a patch that /. considers critical, even if the rest of the world doesn't.

  10. Automated Email Reply by Stickerboy · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dear valued Apple customer:

    We received your message regarding "unpatched Mac OS X Server security hole". We appreciate your business, and we will do everything to address your concerns as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Steve is away from his desk on leave due to health concerns related to his non-lethal pancreatic cancer. He will be happy to fix the problem with "unpatched Mac OS X Server security hole" as soon as he returns to work.

    Sincerely,

    Apple Customer Service

    --
    Light a fire for a man and he'll be warm for a day. Light a man on fire and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
  11. Re:Typical Apple Situation ... No, they want to by davidsyes · · Score: 2, Funny

    be CORED???

    Cobblered?

    Clobbered?

    --
    Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
  12. Never been truer by djdavetrouble · · Score: 4, Funny

    There is always one bad Apple (tm) that spoils the whole bunch.

    --
    music lover since 1969
  13. Lawyered up by markdowling · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why patch when you can tell your lawyers to issue cease and desist letters to everybody - starting with that Kaminsky guy

  14. Re:Is it really so hard? by RulerOf · · Score: 2, Funny

    Where windows will give you an error code

    Heh...

    IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
    [blah blah blah]
    0xA3466EBC - 0xA3466EBC, 0xA3321EBC, 0x00000142

    Sometimes they're helpful ;)

    Of course, that is infinitely better than "[Zomg,] We apologize, but you have to reboot your computer," in four languages.

    --
    Boot Windows, Linux, and ESX over the network for free.