04 Nov 2006
Who's Taking Bites Out of Apple

Or maybe a better question would be, "Who's been drinking the Kool-Aid?". Read both these article carefully. From the security report quoted in the first piece:

The malware, dubbed "Macarena" in tribute either to the summer music hit of 1996 or to the game Quake Arena, has a certain proof-of-concept character to it, Symantec reports. What exactly that means is not cogently explained in Symantec's virus description. The virus nevertheless infects other data in the folder in which it is started, regardless of extension. It appears not to possess an internal processing routine of its own. It may require the aid of the user to spread it by sending it out by mail or passing it via removable storage media.

This is a virus? They're reporting a total of less than 50 "infections" worldwide. But wait, it gets better! Here's the lowdown on the Wi-fi "flaw":

It affects only the AirPort driver provided with wireless cards shipped between 1999 and 2003 with PowerBooks and iMacs, the posting said. To launch an attempt, the hacker would have to be on the same wireless network as a vulnerable Mac. The attack entails trying to trigger a memory corruption flaw by sending a malformed data packet to the computer, according to Moore's advisory. But the process isn't easy, and Moore hasn't yet been able to gain complete control over a vulnerable Mac.

In other words, this is a flaw that could crash a small subset of older Macs. Would it be news if someone discovered a flaw in a Windows 98 driver tomorrow?

These tales have the rank aroma of FUD lurking about them - I'm sure it's possible to craft malware that attacks OS X, but I'm equally sure it's several orders of magnitude more difficult than crafting an equally malicious attack on Windows, strictly due to the core system architecture. In other words, it will probably happen - someday. But not today.

Demo Virus For Mac OS X Released

Heise Security has a report about new Proof of Concept virus for Mac entitled as OSX.Macarena by AV vendor Symantec. Symantec suffered from a slight lapse when it recommended in the first version of the virus description that users clean the system by deactivating the system restoration (Windows ME/XP). It is known that the virus infects other data in the folder in which it is started, regardless of extension, says Heise.

(link) [Slashdot]

Another Apple Wi-Fi Flaw

Kicking off a "month of kernel bugs," a security researcher has released attack code that he claims exploits a new security hole in wireless software from Apple Computer.

(link) [CNET News.com]

08:55 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link

Top evangelical quits, denies gay affair

So if he's not guilty, why did he resign? The hooker claims to have saved voice mails from him ... I'd wager we're gonna see another Jimmy Swaggert "I have sinned ..." performance before too long.

The president of the National Association of Evangelicals resigned Thursday after denying an accusation by a male prostitute that the pastor paid him for sex over three years.

(link) [CNN.com]

Update: Here is comes.

08:25 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Bigfoot research makes prof an outcast on campus

Ya know, in my not so humble opinion, Bigfoot is probably a myth. But after reading this article, I almost hope this guy does find him, just to shove the proof up the noses of his fellow academics.

Science should avoid dogma at all costs - there are a lot of so-called crackpot ideas that eventually prove out, and a lot more that don't. In fact, at some time, nearly all ideas were "crackpot": we all know that men will never fly, the world is flat and the earth is the center of the universe, after all.

This guy seems to be doing real science, going to the field and trying to collected samples and evidence, analyzing it and drawing conclusions. If you disagree with the conclusions, fine - feel free to disprove them (and many folks have). But don't shut down curiosity itself because you know the Absolute Truth: that's not science, that's religion, and some pretty warped religion at that.

Many scientists are embarrassed by what they call Meldrum's "pseudo-academic" pursuits and have called on the university to review his work with an eye toward revoking his tenure. One physics professor, D.P. Wells, wonders whether Meldrum plans to research Santa Claus, too.

(link) [CNN.com]

08:23 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link