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1183 points robenkleene | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.216s | source
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eptcyka ◴[] No.24839101[source]
Apple seems to do all kinds of weird networking _stuff_. For instance, during wakeup, your T2 equipped Macbook will wait for a DNS response and then use said DNS response to synchronize time via NTP before letting the user use the keyboard. Probably checking timestamps on signatures for the keyboard firmware, or something stupid like that. This only happens if it happens to have a default route.

Similarly, all macOS machines will test a DHCP supplied default route before applying it by trying to reach something on the internet. So if you happen to have some firewall rules that block internet access, no default route will be applied until the internet check times out.

I won't share the other sentiments about the above, but is it really that hard to document these behaviors?

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dylan604 ◴[] No.24839503[source]
Apple touted the T2 chip as the bee's knees in security. Now, we have a vulnerability that cannot be defended against. However, Apple went all in on the security of this T2 chip so that you cannot replace the SSD (besides the method to manufacture). I appreciate the desire at making a device difficult for a bad actor to get to your data, but they epicly failed and ultimately only made an user-hostile device. Oh, and the laptops with these chips also had the world's worst keyboard. Absolute trash.
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grishka ◴[] No.24840861[source]
> I appreciate the desire at making a device difficult for a bad actor to get to your data

That's what FileVault is for. I don't understand what's the problem T2 is trying to solve by its existence. Being able to use something else to read the data from a drive you pulled out of your computer, after decrypting it with your password, is a feature, not a bug. T2 is a regression, not an improvement in security. You can't call it a security product if you keep the master key, which Apple does.

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derrick_jensen ◴[] No.24841398[source]
One of the value props was the inability to reset and resell if it were lost or stolen. Now that it’s cracked there is more of an incentive to not try and find the owner.

As for actual data security you are probably right

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Siira ◴[] No.24841580[source]
Is the crack in hardware or software? Any links on it? I thought the iPhones at least could not be reset by thieves?
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1. lioeters ◴[] No.24842687[source]
> The mini operating system on the T2 (SepOS) suffers from a security vulnerable also found in the iPhone 7 since it contains a processor based on the iOS A10.

> ..Using the checkm8 exploit originally made for iPhones, the checkra1n exploit was developed to build a semi-tethered exploit for the T2 security chip, exploiting a flaw. This could be used to e.g. circumvent activation lock, allowing stolen iPhones or macOS devices to be reset and sold on the black market.

> Since sepOS/BootROM is Read-Only Memory for security reasons, interestingly, Apple cannot patch this core vulnerability without a new hardware revision.

Crouching T2, Hidden Danger (2020-10-05) https://ironpeak.be/blog/crouching-t2-hidden-danger/