Apple has announced that it is working to fix a serious security flaw found in the latest version of the MacOS High Sierra operating system for its computers.
The gap, identified by Turkish developer Lemi Ergin, according to the BBC, is strangely very simple. Ergin found that by entering the word "root" as a username, leaving the password field blank and hitting some "enter" in the row, it is possible to gain unlimited access to the target computer.
"We are working on a software upgrade to resolve the issue," said Apple, which did not say whether it knew about the problem prior to Ergin.
Ergin has been criticized for failing to responsibly follow security breach guidelines, usually followed by cybersecurity professionals, who first alert companies to their mistakes so as to give them a reasonable amount of time before it is revealed. publicly the problem.
This security loophole allows an "intruder" to read content files, delete system files rendering the computer useless, install malware, etc. Fortunately, the "backdoor" can not be exploited remotely, which means that the hacker must have physical access to the target computer. But if you gain remote access in other ways, then it is possible to take advantage of the new security gap to bring the computer under control.
This means that Apple has every reason to rush to release the "patch" it is preparing, before malicious users make proper use of it. For those who are very worried, as a temporary solution, the company gives relevant instructions at the following link.
For those who do not want to interfere with their computer settings, cybersecurity experts advise not to lose sight of the Mac and apply the security upgrade as soon as it is released by Apple.