iPhone OS in this update Feb 2010

Several security issues are addressed for iPhone OS in this update. All of them are applicable to iPhone OS 1.0 through 3.1.2, and iPhone OS for iPod touch 1.1 through 3.1.2. The update will bring your device up to OS 3.1.3

Almost all of the issues addressed are serious - many of them are buffer overflow conditions allowing arbitrary code execution for common iPhone activities:

* watching a maliciously crafted MP4 video
* viewing a malicious TIFF graphic
* accessing a (again, maliciously crafted) FTP site.
* There's also a particularly nasty one that uses a memory corruption issue to bypass the iPhone password (via a crafted USB control message), allowing access to user data on the phone.

These are referenced as CVE-2010-0036, CVE-2009-2285, CVE-2010-0038, CVE-2009-3384 and CVE-2009-2841

These updates are available on iTunes - more information on the issues and update procedure can be found at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4013 , or the main security update site at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

The recommendation is to update your device to OS 3.1.3 as soon as possible.

http://isc.sans.org/

MAC Users: Info for Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard

General requirements

* Mac computer with an Intel processor
* 1GB of memory
* 5GB of available disk space
* DVD drive for installation
* Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
* Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.

Feature-specific requirements
Time Machine

requires an additional hard drive or Time Capsule (sold separately).
Photo Booth

requires an iSight camera (built in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder. Backdrop effects when using a DV camcorder require fixed focus, exposure, and white balance.
Boot Camp

requires Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista (sold separately).
Screen sharing

in iChat and the Finder requires a 128-Kbps Internet connection (300 Kbps recommended).
DVD Player

requires a 1.6GHz processor or faster for improved deinterlacing.
iChat

* Audio chats require a microphone and a 56-Kbps Internet connection.
* Video chats require an iSight camera (built in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder; and a 128-Kbps upstream and downstream Internet connection.
* Backdrop effects when using a DV camcorder require fixed focus, exposure, and white balance.
* Some iChat features offer better performance and quality with higher system capabilities. More details

Exchange Support

requires Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack 1 Update Rollup 4. Auto-setup requires enabling the Autodiscovery feature of Microsoft Exchange Server.
QuickTime X movie capture

requires iSight camera (built-in or external), USB video class (UVC) camera, or FireWire DV camcorder.
QuickTime H.264 hardware acceleration

requires a Mac with an NVIDIA 9400M graphics processor.
Developer tools

require 1GB of memory and an additional 3GB of available disk space.
OpenCL

requires one of the following graphics cards or graphics processors:

* NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, GeForce 9600M GT, GeForce 8600M GT, GeForce GT 120, GeForce GT 130, GeForce GTX 285, GeForce 8800 GT, GeForce 8800 GS, Quadro FX 4800, Quadro FX5600
* ATI Radeon 4850, Radeon 4870

64-bit support

requires a Mac with a 64-bit processor.
Grand Central Dispatch

requires a Mac with a multicore processor.


More app description @ http://support.apple.com/kb/SP575

Snow Leopard bug deletes all user data

Computerworld - Snow Leopard users have reported that they've lost all their personal data when they've logged into a "Guest" account after upgrading from Leopard, according to messages on Apple's support forum.

The bug, users said in a well-read thread on Apple's support forum, resets all settings on the Mac, resets all applications' settings and erases the contents of critical folders containing documents, photos and music.

The MacFixIt site first reported the problem more than a month ago.

Read more...

IPhone Jailbreak hack Violates Law

February 13, 2009 (Computerworld) Hacking an iPhone is against the law, Apple Inc. has argued in comments filed with the U.S. Copyright Office.

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a freedom-of-speech advocacy organization, this is the first public statement from Apple about its legal position on "jailbreaking," the term used to describe hacking an iPhone to install third-party applications not sold via Apple's own App Store. Read more...

Apple is recommending that Mac users install antivirus software

"But don't read this as an admission that the Mac operating system is suddenly insecure. It's more a recognition that Mac users are vulnerable to Web application exploits, which have replaced operating system vulnerabilities as the bigger threat to computer users." Read more ...