RE: Another Mac OS X ScreenSaver Security Issue (after Security Update 2003-07-14)

From: Rizwan Jiwan (Rizwan.Jiwanat_private)
Date: Thu Jul 31 2003 - 10:21:28 PDT

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    I wouldn't consider this a bug. It is like me writing a script that kills
    any process named "ScreenSaverEngine". If I run it with my privileges it
    should allow me to kill the process (assuming I own ScreenSaverEngine).
    Escape Pod does what it is meant to. OS X does what it is meant to--that is
    unless you are suggesting that the operating system not allow the user to
    kill the screen saver process which is just stupid because I have had my
    screen saver crash on me.
    
    -Riz
    
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Patrick Haruksteiner [mailto:harukat_private]
    Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 4:56 PM
    To: Doug White
    Subject: Re: Another Mac OS X ScreenSaver Security Issue (after Security
    Update 2003-07-14)
    
    
    
    On Wednesday, July 30, 2003, at 10:07 h, Doug White wrote:
    > On Tue, 29 Jul 2003, Patrick Haruksteiner wrote:
    >
    >> I discoverd another security issue with the Mac OS X screensaver.
    >> If you have installed escapepod from Ambrosia Software and hit
    >> crtl-alt-delete(==backspace) when the screensaver with password
    >> protection is running, it kills the screensaver and the desktop is
    >> open to anybody - so it has the same effect as the recently
    >> emerged password-exploit.
    >
    > This is not a bug in Apple software. This is a third party extension.
    >
    > Ambrosia's Escape Pod is a utility that kills the frontmost app when 
    > the
    > shortcut keystroke is typed. Naturally it does not ship with MacOS X.
    >
    > Since the screen saver is just another application (called
    > ScreenSaverEngine), if you hit the kill key when its running, it gets
    > killed.  Fancy that!
    
    I know that! But it should be the concern of the OS that you cannot 
    circumvent its security system with the help of other applications!
    
    
    --
    harp
    



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