From operating within a garage to becoming the world’s most valuable brand with a net worth of over $206 billion, Apple has established itself in consumer electronics. With the birth of the Macintosh OS, or the MacOS as it is fondly known, Apple has managed to increase its stronghold in businesses, with over 40,000 companies in the US using Mac machines for business processes; of these businesses, many are in the computer software industry.
Apple stands second only to Windows in the PC market, and is steadily improving and expanding its market. With so many devoted users, it’s important to know how secure Mac systems really are. Here are some of the top vulnerabilities afflicting MacOS:
1. MacOS zero-day vulnerabilities: Zero-day vulnerabilities remain the most dangerous type of security loop-holes. These are security flaws in the software or operating system that software vendors are aware of but have yet to release a patch to fix. Recently, a zero-day vulnerability was discovered in Apple software that affects MacOS supplemental updates before version 10.13. It allowed threat actors to bypass a keychain access prompt and subsequently allows them to extract passwords. This could, in turn, result in a number of other malicious activities.
2. Code execution vulnerabilities: This type of vulnerability allows the attacker to bypass authentication and execute all kinds of codes in the compromised machines. Several of these have recently affected Mojave, Sierra, and High Sierra versions of the MacOS.
3. Data theft vulnerabilities: As the name suggests, this variety of vulnerabilities lets the attacker steal sensitive information. Even Mac computers with FileVault enabled are susceptible to these data theft vulnerabilities.
4. Denial of service vulnerabilities: These vulnerabilities give way to attacks that rob a legitimate user’s access to information systems, devices, or other network resources. This forces users/organizations to often strike an agreement with the attackers to get their services up and running.
5. Kernel-level memory corruption: Recently, a vulnerability named Webroot SecureAnywhere that allows attackers to run malicious codes on local kernel-mode was discovered in MacOS. This vulnerability allows attackers to run malicious code in locally-based systems and was a serious threat until Webroot patched it.
Ever since its inception, Mac has touted immunity towards cyberattacks. But the steady influx of threats and vulnerabilities attacking these systems has pretty much shattered the “Mac invulnerability” myth.
In the wake of these attacks, you may be realizing that Mac computers deserve the same level of patching attention as devices from any other vendor. If this has you worried, fear not, because here at ManageEngine, we have solutions to protect your Mac endpoints, including the ones hosted on or managed from a cloud platform.
Patch Manager Plus Cloud now offering support for Mac
You can now use Patch Manager Plus Cloud to completely oversee the patching requirements in your Mac endpoints. All versions of MacOS are currently supported from Snow Leopard (version 10.6) to Mojave (version 10.14).
What’s more?
All the Windows OS patch management features you love are now available for MacOS. Ensure complete patch management in your Mac endpoints through:
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Automated patch deployment
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Third party application patching for over 300 applications
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Flexible deployment policies
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Testing and approving patches
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Declining patches
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Detailed reporting at every step of the patching process
For firsthand experience in using Patch Manager Plus Cloud to patch Mac endpoints, try our free, 30-day trial version.
