Think Secret - Mac OS X for Intel cracked again
Think Secret reports that mac os X for Intel is cracked, once again
Rogue coders have once again cracked the security mechanism that Apple has put in place to tie mac os X for Intel to its hardware.
“According to the OSx86 Project, a user with the alias “Maxxuss” has hacked the kernel so that mac os X 10.4.3 for Intel, released about two weeks ago, can run not only on non-Apple Intel systems, but also older systems without the newest hardware purportedly needed to run the OS.Apple has been increasing the security mechanisms that tie the OS to its hardware with each subsequent release of mac os X for Intel but at this point has failed to thwart hackers.
“Sources have suggested that by the time Intel-based Macs start shipping Apple will have much stronger security measures in place. As the OSx86 Project notes, however, current TPM restrictions (a security measure) built into mac os X Intel are virtually uncrackable, but coders have been successful in duping the OS into thinking it doesn’t need such authorization.”
PSA: My take on this is easy enough: What better way to get a secure software than to open the code to anyone? Second best, of course, is to release a fairly un-secured beta, and THEN plug any hole code crackers can find, analyse how the did it, plug more holes – until the final release is almost un-crackable. So all those hot OSx86project coders are doing right now is to make certain that the final Intel release of mac os runs almost exclusively on Apple products. Hey – subtle! You got to love it…