Cybersecurity
Apple Releases Fix to Security Flaw in Mac Operating System
- Security bug found in latest version of MacOS High Sierra
- Glitch allowed people to access computers without password
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Apple Inc. released an update to its latest operating system for Mac computers and said it’s changing development practices after a significant security flaw was disclosed Tuesday that allowed people to log in without a password, potentially making private user data vulnerable.
The issue, discovered in the macOS High Sierra operating system for laptops and desktops that was released in September, would let anyone enter the word “root” when prompted for a username, and provide no password when logging on to the device. That would permit unfettered access to the file system for a Mac, exposing private documents on that particular computer. One user reported the ability to also access the computer using the root login remotely.