Secure Coding mailing list archives
eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits"
From: pmeunier at cerias.purdue.edu (Pascal Meunier)
Date: Fri, 27 Jan 2006 11:55:49 -0500
On 1/27/06 11:20 AM, "Kenneth R. van Wyk" <Ken at krvw.com> wrote:
Interesting article, I suppose, but I'm not convinced of its conclusion: http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1915923,00.asp The article claims that Apple's use of Intel chips will result in more software exploits because, "'Attackers have been focused on the [Intel] x86 for over a decade. Macintosh will have a lot more exposure than when it was on PowerPC,' said Oliver Friedrichs, a senior manager at Symantec Corp. Security Response." I was hoping to find some hint of a hardware architectural feature that the powerpc has that provided an additional means of protection, but the article mentions none. Instead, the only reason that it cites for the (presumed) increase in software exploits is attackers' knowledge and experience base. After all, didn't attackers also have access to powerpc systems to build attacks on during the same timeframe that Symantec suggests? Does the powerpc architecture provide some inherent protection against (say) stack smashing than the x86 does? Am I missing something here?
It resembles a speculative economic argument. The main point is the possible re-use of assembly code knowledge and tools. A barrier to entry (the cost of learning PowerPC assembly code and developing support tools for it) has been removed for some individuals, due to the change to Intel. Presumably, if you lower the cost, more people will do it. Whether this will make a significant difference is pure opinion. Cheers, Pascal
Current thread:
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Kenneth R. van Wyk (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Pascal Meunier (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Andrew Rucker Jones (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Crispin Cowan (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Jose Nazario (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Jose Nazario (Jan 30)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Blue Boar (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Pascal Meunier (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" Jose Nazario (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" der Mouse (Jan 27)
- eWeek says "Apple's Switch to Intel Could Allow OS X Exploits" ljknews (Jan 27)