A Tweet-Sized Exploit Can Get Root On OS X 10.10

vivaoporto writes: The Register reports a root-level privilege-escalation exploit that allows one to gain administrator-level privileges on an OS X Yosemite Mac using code so small that fits in a tweet. The security bug, documented by iOS and OS X guru Stefan Esserwhich, can be exploited by malware and attackers to gain total control of the computer. This flaw is present in the latest version of Yosemite, OS X 10.10.4, and the beta, version 10.10.5 but is already fixed in the preview beta of El Capitan (OS X 10.11) Speaking of exploits: Reader trailrunner 7 notes that "HP’s Zero Day Initiative has released four new zero days in Internet Explorer that can lead to remote code execution."

Comments

Misleading and Hyperbolic Title/Comparison

[Galaga88]

Fact[0]: The code for this exploit could fit within a tweet (which is to say: 140 characters.)

Fact[1]: Despite referring to tweets and Twitter, this exploit can't occur via Twitter. The attacker already has to have local access.

A lot of security exploits could fit within a tweet, but I've never seen that comparison before. It misleads people into thinking that you can pwn a Mac via Twitter.