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Mac exploit lets you change App Store preferences with any password
Apple's Mac password troubles aren't over yet. Users have discovered that it's possible to change Mac App Store preferences in macOS High Sierra using any password. You do need to login as an administrator, which is supposed to unlock preferences, but you're allowed to use any password you like if the preference is locked and you need to get access again. Other sections still require a correct password.
Apple updates macOS and iOS to address Spectre vulnerability
Just a few days after Apple disclosed how it would be dealing with the Meltdown bug that affects modern computers, it's pushed out fixes for the Spectre exploit as well. iOS 11.2.2 includes "Security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre," the company writes on its support page, while the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 Supplemental Update does the same for your Mac laptop or desktop. Installing this update on your Mac will also update Safari to version 11.0.2.
iOS HomeKit bug exposed smart locks to unauthorized access
Apple has another security issue to deal with. As 9to5Mac reports today, Apple's HomeKit framework has a vulnerability that allows unauthorized access to connected smart devices like locks and garage door openers. Apple has already put in a server-side fix that rectifies the issue, but the fix also disables remote access to shared users. Apple says that the reduced functionality will be restored with an iOS 11.2 update next week.
Apple's macOS 'root' bug can be reopened by updating
After news broke of a devastating security flaw in its most recent version of macOS, Apple responded quickly by releasing a patch. Installing Security Update 2017-001 on either macOS 10.13 or 10.13.1 will resolve a problem that allowed anyone to login with admin access simply by typing the username "root" and leaving the password blank, but people have discovered there's another wrinkle. As Wired mentions, if someone is still on the initial release of High Sierra (10.13), and installs the patch, then later updates to 10.13.1, then the security flaw will return. It can be fixed by reinstalling the patch, but it's important for users to know that the computers won't restart itself, and it needs to be restarted before it will be secure. It's hardly impossible, but it could leave people insecure even if they think they've installed patches the right way, and probably explains why (when they can) companies wait for more testing before rolling out a patch. tl;dr: Mac owners, mash that update button -- reboot, check again to make sure you have all the updates, and if they need to install then reboot your system again once they're done. If you have any problems afterward with file sharing, then just take a look here for a fix.
Apple's High Sierra security patch affected Mac file sharing
Apple's latest update for macOS High Sierra hasn't gone well. As revealed earlier this week, the update included a bug that made it pretty easy for anyone to gain admin rights to your Mac -- an obvious privacy concern. Apple rolled out a patch for the issue, but it seems that's not without its problems either, as some users are now unable to authenticate or connect to file shares on their Macs. Fortunately, there's a simple fix. As Apple Insider reports:
Apple fixes macOS bug allowing full access without a password (updated)
It didn't take long for Apple to patch that nasty macOS High Sierra flaw that let intruders gain full administrator access (aka root) on your system. The company has released Security Update 2017-001, which should prevent people from gaining control over a Mac just by putting "root" in the username and hitting the Return key a few times. Needless to say, you'll want to apply this fix as soon as you can if you're running Apple's latest desktop OS.
macOS High Sierra bug allows full admin access without a password
If you're using Apple's latest macOS High Sierra, you'll want to be wary of giving people access to your computer. Initially tweeted by developer Lemi Orhan Ergin, there's a super-easy exploit that can give anyone gain admin (or root) rights to your Mac. Engadget has confirmed that you can gain root access in the login screen, the System Preferences Users & Groups tab and File Vault with this method. All you need to do is enter "root" into the username field, leave the password blank, and hit Enter a few times. Needless to say, this is some scary stuff.
Apple’s Safari update secretly mines data to protect your privacy
Apple's newly launched macOS High Sierra may not be flashy on the outside, but there's plenty going on beneath the surface. Admittedly, some of its high-profile upgrades are easier to spot: Like Safari muting autoplaying videos by default. However, another modification to the browser could go unnoticed. As noted by TechCrunch, Safari is now quietly collecting your data. If you opt-in, Apple's differential privacy tech will gather your activity info in order to identify problematic websites. These are the types of murky domains that can debilitate the browser by using too much power, and can even cause it to crash by hogging memory. The tech giant plans to document the popularity of these sites to help it figure out which ones it should tackle first.
macOS High Sierra is well worth the upgrade
MacOS High Sierra was never meant to be truly transformative. As we covered in our preview of Apple's new desktop OS, it's mostly focused on refining its predecessor, last year's Sierra. At the same time, it also lays the groundwork for bigger changes down the line. Since there's not much you'll actually notice, and barely anything has changed since we published our extensive preview, we won't be doing a full review of the new OS. But with High Sierra officially launching today, it's worth highlighting the handful of notable features.
macOS High Sierra is available to download
Apple's last major operating system update of the year is here at last: as promised, you can now download the upgrade to macOS High Sierra through the Mac App Store. So long as you have a qualifying Mac (2009 or newer iMacs and MacBooks, as well as all 2010 or newer machines), you too can see what most of the hype is about. There are some conspicuous app and interface changes, but most of the big improvements are behind the scenes.
Download macOS High Sierra on September 25th
Come September 25th you'll be able to give macOS High Sierra a shot for yourself and see how little it (superficially) differs from the update that came before it.
What to expect from Apple's iPhone event on September 12th
Another September, another iPhone event, right? Well, not exactly. Apple celebrated the iPhone's 10th anniversary earlier this year, and all of the rumors have pointed to a radically new and potentially very expensive smartphone to celebrate that milestone. It's all but certain we'll see this new phone, but that's hardly all that we expect Apple to reveal next Tuesday, at the first event in the company's brand-new headquarters. We could see two additional iPhones, Apple Watch updates, an upgraded Apple TV, details on the forthcoming HomePod speaker and possibly more. Apple often likes to surprise us, after all. Here's what we think Tim Cook and company will bring to the table on Tuesday.
Latest macOS kills pro video editor favorite Final Cut Pro 7
When Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) launched to replace version 7, it sent shockwaves through the professional editing community. Many users had moved to FCP 7 from Avid because it was cheaper, and after much development on Apple's part, was capable of doing professional jobs. However, FCP X was widely aimed at consumers and lacked a lot of professional features, so many stuck with the original. That's going to be difficult now, though, as Apple has told users via email that its latest version of macOS, High Sierra will not run the older version anymore.
Google Chrome may soon have an option to keep websites muted
A member of Google's Chrome development team announced today that it's working on a mute button for websites. In a post, François Beaufort said, "This will give you more control about which website is allowed to throw sound at you automatically."
macOS High Sierra preview: It's what you can't see that counts
You can tell by its name: The next version of Apple's macOS, High Sierra, isn't a huge and transformative update. Instead, like Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion, the new OS refines what came before it. It's hard not to feel a bit disappointed, though, since last year's macOS Sierra was also a modest update. It brought Siri to the desktop and Apple Pay to the web but didn't fundamentally change how we used Macs. Now with High Sierra's first public preview, we're getting even more incremental upgrades. While the new OS isn't flashy -- you'll barely even notice you've upgraded -- it's an important stepping stone for Apple. It brings along some important changes under the hood that will modernize macOS and prepare it for the future of desktop computing. But with iOS getting some major updates that make it look and feel more like macOS, especially on iPads, it's also transforming into a legitimately competitive platform to macOS. We can't help but wonder when Apple will deliver something truly new for Macs.
Mac VR support is more confusing than you think
Early on in yesterday's WWDC keynote, Apple announced VR support in OS X, along with an external GPU dock for Mac developers. That news excited a lot of people. External GPUs, for what it's worth, work right now in macOS Sierra without huge issues (Bizon has been selling external GPU enclosures for a while). What Apple's new High Sierra OS brings is full support for GPU docks in its graphics API. Couple that with NVIDIA's commitment to release graphics drivers for macOS and it's suddenly going to be a lot easier for Apple users to boost the power of their machines. Immediately after Apple's VR announcement, a colleague remarked that adding an external GPU would be "dope if you're buying a MacBook Air or a low-powered machine" -- you'd have an ultraportable that you plug into a dock for VR and high-end gaming. That dream isn't realistic though. It feels like many people don't quite understand what a GPU does and why adding one to an underpowered machine won't make it VR ready.
Apple doesn’t need your personal information to succeed
In 2014, Apple CEO Tim Cook wrote an important letter about how the company makes money. He wrote, "A few years ago, users of internet services began to realize that when an online service is free, you're not the customer. You're the product." If you missed it, that's a dig at Google, which makes most of its money selling ads complete with incredibly rich data about its users. At its WWDC keynote this week, Apple continued to remind its customers (and Google) that it doesn't need your data to make money.
Watch Apple's WWDC 2017 keynote in 15 minutes
What's that? You weren't able to sit through nearly three hours of Apple news earlier today as the company kicked off this year's Worldwide Developers Conference? No worries. We've condensed all the watchOS, macOS, iOS, MacBook, iMac and iPad news into a convenient 15-minute clip. And yes, we made room for that newfangled Siri speaker, the HomePod. Sit back, relax and catch up on what you missed without sacrificing a couple hours to the task. Get all the latest news from WWDC 2017 here!
macOS finally supports VR
Until now the only way to run a high-end VR system on a Mac was by booting into Windows, but that didn't solve the fact that Apple had yet to offer a GPU option that was actually good enough for VR. The next best thing was to plug in your desired NVIDIA card via an external enclosure like the Razer Core, but you'd still be stuck with Windows. Thankfully, Apple has finally decided to take matters into its own hands by adding VR graphics support to the upcoming macOS High Sierra due this fall, and it's also offering a Thunderbolt 3 external GPU dev kit as of today at WWDC.
Apple's macOS High Sierra: faster Safari and a new file system
Another WWDC, another update to macOS, the software powering Apple's traditional desktop and laptop computers. As usual, senior VP of software engineering Craig Federighi is onstage at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, this time detailing the latest features that Apple will bring to macOS High Sierra when it launches later this year. (We swear that's the real name.)
