News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

August 22, 2006

security

Coming to a close on the wireless hack debacle

Posted Aug. 22, ’06, 5:30 AM PT by Derik DeLong
Category | Security

MacBook hack The “MacBook hacked in 60 seconds or less” story has dragged on for far too long now. I’d link to all our old posts, but honestly, it would take too long (hint, look at our security category). With the last update of Apple outright saying that they haven’t been shown an exploit, the major players in this (Krebs, Maynor, and Ellch) are going to do their best to save face. Gruber has the best recap. Here are a few of my favorite quotes.

On the other hand, if Maynor and Ellch have not identified an exploit that works against Apple’s standard MacBook card and driver, then the only possible explanation for what Brian Krebs has reported — that Maynor told him that the default MacBook drivers are “identically exploitable” to those used in their video — is that either (a) Maynor and Ellch are liars and frauds; (b) Brian Krebs is an incompetent hack who grossly and utterly misquoted and misstated what Maynor had told him; or (c) Krebs was in over his head and did not understand the issues he was reporting on.

Now taking bets. Which do you think it is?

Krebs wrote:

I have several times now asked SecureWorks to share with me more specific information to back up their claims, but so far I have received no further details. If I hear back from SecureWorks with any more material information, I will update the blog.

Translation: “I no longer stand by my own reporting.”

Alternative translation: “Oh boy am I f’d.”

I altered that last word for mixed company. I think it gets to the heart of it though. Krebs is backpedaling vigorously, like a fish that got caught so easily on a hook.


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