Gone in 60 seconds: Hackers slash wireless security of Macbooks, PCs |
Thursday August 3, 2006 1:51 PM CDT - By: Dave White
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 Hackers are making Wi-Fi news these days, especially in a recent report that shoots holes in Apple's vaunted security reputation.
Attendees at the ongoing BlackHat conference saw a video demo of computer experts hacking into the wireless drivers of both Apple Macbooks and Windows machines. Apparently, the hackers were able to penetrate the Macbook's defenses in about a minute.
The fault lies in Apple's wireless protocols, which can be set to connect to any available wireless network. That "openness" can be turned on its head and allow anyone access to the "searching" laptop, the hackers said.
They also had similar success in hacking into a Windows-based laptop and one running on Linux as well.
Whether this is the vanguard of a huge push into Wi-Fi hacking remains to be seen. It is certain that such a wide release of hacking practice will be appreciated and copied by dedicated hackers. It is likely that Apple, Microsoft, and Linux developers will take heed and plug the holes, with varying degrees of responsiveness.
Via it.slashdot.org
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