Tech Knock

Mozilla has released an important update for its Firefox web browser to patch a critical vulnerability that could allow remote attackers to execute malicious code on computers running an affected version of the browser. The update comes just a week after the company rolled out its new Firefox Quantum browser, a.k.a Firefox 58, with some new features like improved graphics engine and performance optimizations and patches for more than 30 vulnerabilities. According to a security  advisory  published by Cisco, Firefox 58.0.1 addresses an 'arbitrary code execution’ flaw that originates due to 'insufficient sanitization' of HTML fragments in  chrome-privileged  documents (browser UI). Hackers could exploit this vulnerability (CVE-2018-5124) to run arbitrary code on the victim's computer just by tricking them into accessing a link or ' opening a file that submits malicious input to the affected software .' "A successful exploit could allow the a

The US isn't likely to build its own cellular network, but that doesn't mean there isn't real concern over wireless security.                 The Trump administration's proposal to nationalize 5G wireless networks highlights real security concerns for         these next-generation wireless networks.  No, the US government isn't likely to get into the wireless business. But the Trump administration's out-of-the-blue proposal to build a 5G wireless network raises some legitimate concerns worth paying attention to. President Donald Trump's National Security Council has discussed the possibility of building a 5G network to counter Chinese spying on US mobile devices,  according to report by Axios . The government-run network would supposedly protect emerging technologies that will rely on super-fast 5G, like self-driving cars, and ensure the US remains a leader in wireless. The idea got  shot down almost immediately  by analysts, experts and all five

Yet another password vulnerability has been uncovered in macOS High Sierra, which unlocks App Store System Preferences with any password (or no password at all). A new password bug has been discovered in the latest version of macOS High Sierra that allows anyone with access to your Mac to unlock App Store menu in System Preferences with any random password or no password at all. The impact of this vulnerability is nowhere as serious as the previously disclosed  root login bug  in Apple's desktop OS that enabled access to the root superuser account simply by entering a blank password on macOS High Sierra 10.13.1. As  reported  on Open Radar earlier this week, the vulnerability impacts macOS version 10.13.2 and requires the attacker to be logged in with an administrator-level account for this vulnerability to work. I checked the bug on my fully updated Mac laptop, and it worked by entering a blank password as well as any random password. If you're running l

If you own a Mac computer and run the latest version of Apple's operating system, macOS High Sierra, then you need to be extra careful with your computer. A serious, yet stupid vulnerability has been discovered in macOS High Sierra that allows untrusted users to quickly gain unfettered administrative (or root) control on your Mac without any password or security check, potentially leaving your data at risk. Discovered by developer  Lemi Orhan Ergin  on Tuesday, the vulnerability only requires anyone with physical access to the target macOS machine to enter "root" into the username field, leave the password blank, and hit the Enter a few times—and Voila! In simple words, the flaw allows an unauthorized user that gets physical access on a target computer to immediately gain the highest level of access to the computer, known as "root," without actually typing any password. Needless to say, this blindingly easy Mac exploit really scary stuff

A severe programming error has been discovered in Apple's latest macOS High Sierra 10.13 that exposes passwords of encrypted Apple File System (APFS) volumes in plain text. Reported by Matheus Mariano, a Brazilian software developer, the vulnerability affects encrypted volumes using APFS wherein the password hint section is showing the actual password in the plain text. Yes, you got that right—your Mac mistakenly reveals the actual password instead of the password hint. In September, Apple released macOS High Sierra 10.13 with APFS (Apple File System) as the default file system for solid-state drives (SSDs) and other all-flash storage devices, promising strong encryption and better performance. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE : iOS 11.3 coming this spring with battery and performance settings, ARKit 1.5, new Animoji Mariano discovered the security issue while he was using the Disk Utility in macOS High Sierra to add a new encrypted APFS volume to a container. When ad

If your smartphones, tablets, smart refrigerators, smart TVs and other smart devices are smart enough to make your life easier, their smart behavior could also be leveraged by hackers to steal data, invade your privacy or spy on you, if not secured properly. One such experiment has recently been performed by a team of student hackers, demonstrating a new attack method to turn smart devices into spying tools that could track your every move, including inferring sexual activity. Dubbed  CovertBand , the attack has been  developed  by four researchers at the University of Washington's Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and is so powerful that it can record what a person is doing through a wall. The CovertBand tracking system makes use of the built-in microphones and speakers—found in smartphones, laptops, tablets, smart assistant and other smart devices—as a receiver to pick up reflected sound waves, tracking the movements of anyone near the audio