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GeekyBear commented on More Mac malware from Google search   eclecticlight.co/2026/01/... · Posted by u/kristianp
sithadmin · a day ago
The article specifically mentions that the methodology here is to trick users into running an obfuscated CLI command…that downloads and runs a binary
GeekyBear · a day ago
Terminal commands have the ability to do dangerous things, like deleting all the user's files.

In this case, the user is warned that the command wants to do something dangerous and must manually allow or deny the action.

GeekyBear commented on More Mac malware from Google search   eclecticlight.co/2026/01/... · Posted by u/kristianp
quamserena · a day ago
By scanning downloaded binaries for known viruses?
GeekyBear · a day ago
A text command pasted into the terminal isn't a binary.

Convincing a Linux user to paste rm -rf / into the terminal is not malware. It's social engineering.

Scanning binaries for known malware is already built into the OS.

GeekyBear commented on More Mac malware from Google search   eclecticlight.co/2026/01/... · Posted by u/kristianp
tokyobreakfast · a day ago
Are we still pushing the myth that anti-malware on Mac isn't necessary?
GeekyBear · a day ago
How does antivirus software protect users who paste malicious commands they find online into the terminal?
GeekyBear commented on FBI couldn't get into WaPo reporter's iPhone because Lockdown Mode enabled   404media.co/fbi-couldnt-g... · Posted by u/robin_reala
bigyabai · 5 days ago
> Apple has publicity stated that they have not and will not ever do this

Apple has also said that the US required them to hide evidence of dragnet surveillance: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/12/apple-admits-to-...

  Apple has since confirmed in a statement provided to Ars that the US federal government “prohibited” the company “from sharing any information,” but now that Wyden has outed the feds, Apple has updated its transparency reporting and will “detail these kinds of requests” in a separate section on push notifications in its next report.
Apple statements are quite distinct from what they do behind the scenes.

GeekyBear · 5 days ago
Providing a copy of push notification data (or any data) that you host on your server in response to a warrant is not what we are talking about.

No company can refuse to do that.

GeekyBear commented on FBI couldn't get into WaPo reporter's iPhone because Lockdown Mode enabled   404media.co/fbi-couldnt-g... · Posted by u/robin_reala
pbhjpbhj · 5 days ago
We don't know if they did the right thing here. With a previous case it seemed (to me) like Apple might have pushed an update to give access ... they presumably could do that, remotely copy all the data, then return the device to the former state. One can't know, and this sort of thing seems entirely tenable.

FBI don't have to tell anyone they accessed the device. That maintains Apples outward appearance of security; FBI just use parallel construction later if needed.

Something like {but an actually robust system} a hashed log, using an enclave, where the log entries are signed using your biometric, so that events such a network access where any data is exchanged are recorded and can only be removed using biometrics. Nothing against wrench-based attacks, of course.

GeekyBear · 5 days ago
> With a previous case it seemed (to me) like Apple might have pushed an update to give access

You're going to have to provide a cite here, since Apple has publicity stated that they have not and will not ever do this on behalf of any nation state.

For instance, Apple's public statement when the FBI ordered them to do so:

https://www.apple.com/customer-letter/

GeekyBear commented on Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered   windowscentral.com/micros... · Posted by u/blacktulip
kube-system · 16 days ago
Any company in any country will hand over data in response to a warrant. There is no country with a higher standard of protection than a warrant.
GeekyBear · 16 days ago
Sure, but every company doesn't make it as difficult as possible to set up a new encrypted computer without uploading a copy of your your encryption key to their servers.

That's a Microsoft thing.

GeekyBear commented on Microsoft will give the FBI a Windows PC data encryption key if ordered   windowscentral.com/micros... · Posted by u/blacktulip
cromka · 16 days ago
Any reason to believe Apple won't do the same with whatever we backup in iCloud?
GeekyBear · 16 days ago
Any American company will hand over data stored on their server (that they have access to) in response to a warrant.

Apple provides an optional encryption level (ADP) where they don't have a copy of your encryption key.

When Apple doesn't have the encryption key, they can't decrypt your data, so they can't provide a copy of the decrypted data in response to a warrant.

They explain the trade off during device setup: If Apple doesn't have a copy of the key, they can't help you if you should lose your copy of the key.

GeekyBear commented on Apple is fighting for TSMC capacity as Nvidia takes center stage   culpium.com/p/exclusiveap... · Posted by u/speckx
GeekyBear · 25 days ago
This piece provides a fair bit of insight:

> Apple-TSMC: The Partnership That Built Modern Semiconductors

In 2013, TSMC made a $10 billion bet on a single customer. Morris Chang committed to building 20nm capacity with uncertain economics on the promise that Apple would fill those fabs. “I bet the company, but I didn’t think I would lose,” Chang later said. He was right. Apple’s A8 chip launched in 2014, and TSMC never looked back.

https://newsletter.semianalysis.com/p/apple-tsmc-the-partner...

GeekyBear commented on Apple picks Gemini to power Siri   cnbc.com/2026/01/12/apple... · Posted by u/stygiansonic
delis-thumbs-7e · a month ago
To be fair, all tech companies do this. Sell first, implement later, hype hype hype. Of course we’d like to think Apple was better, but well.. it isn’t.
GeekyBear · a month ago
Google certainly shipped Magic Cue as their tentpole new AI feature on the Pixel 10 despite it not working.

> “The right info, right when you need it.” That’s how Google describes Magic Cue, one of the most prominent new AI features on the Pixel 10 series. Using the power of artificial intelligence, Magic Cue is supposed to automatically suggest helpful info in phone calls, text messages, and other apps without you having to lift a finger.

However, the keyword there is “supposed” to... even when going out of my way to prompt Magic Cue, it either doesn’t work or does so little that I’m amazed Google made as big a deal about the feature as it did.

https://www.androidauthority.com/google-pixel-10-magic-cue-o...

u/GeekyBear

KarmaCake day12227May 27, 2017View Original