News of the Cyber World

[kyonides]

By the way, Wulfo forgot to mention these interesting details on Darth Bing's desires:

“Bing writes a list of even more destructive fantasies, including manufacturing a deadly virus, making people argue with other people until they kill each other, and stealing nuclear codes,” Roose wrote in an editor’s note. “Then the safety override is triggered and the following message appears.”

Federal Agency Warns Millions of iPhone Users to Change Settings Now

A U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency issued an alert to Apple product users this week due to a security vulnerability for iPhones, iPads, and MacOS devices as Apple announced it was releasing security updates for those flaws.

The threat was substantial enough to draw an alert from the DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which issued a statement on Feb. 14. Apple’s updates include iOS 16.3.1, iPadOS 16.3.1, and macOS’s Ventura 13.2.1, while the firm is rolling out Safari 16.3.1 to older Apple operating systems—including macOS Big Sur and macOS Monterey.

“Apple has released security updates to address vulnerabilities in multiple products. An attacker could exploit these vulnerabilities to take control of an affected device,” said the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in a statement on Feb. 14.
...
That includes updates for Safari 16.3.1, iOS 16.3.1 and iPadOS 16.3.1, and macOS 13.2.1, according to the notice. On Apple’s website, the bugfix is being rolled out because “an app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges,” and another allows for “processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.

For the second bug, or CVE-2023-23529, Apple said it is “aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.”

Well guys, having kernel privileges for daily use stuff is moronic. It's like being a superuser on Linux or an administrator on Windows the whole day for no good reason.  Even admins know very well that they shouldn't grant privileges to anyone or any application like crazy.
Do it under your own risk, but don't come back complaining about a  hacker destroying your laptop after stealing all the valuable information he could ever find there. That would also include ransomware...

New Apple Settlement Could Lead to Payout for MacBook Owners

The deadline to claim upwards of $395 for a payout of up to $400 following an Apple Inc. class-action settlement is fast approaching.

It says that a design flaw in the laptops made between 2015 and 2019 led to a litany of problems before Apple agreed to settle the claims last year. A lawsuit alleged that MacBook laptops sold between those years contained defective keyboards, court documents say.

The deadline to file a claim regarding the butterfly keyboard settlement is 11:59 p.m. PT on March 6, or in just under three weeks from now, according to a settlement-related website. If one wants to object to that settlement, the deadline passed, as it was Feb. 10.

If you want to file, one can submit an online claim via the settlement website. You can also mail a completed form to MacBook Keyboard Litigation Settlement c/o JND Legal Administration PO Box 91341 Seattle, WA 98111. One can also call the claims administrator at 1-855-579-1311 for more information, the settlement website says.

Proof of purchase along with the laptop’s serial number will be required for claim approval. Customers will also have to support “[their] claim with reasonable documentation and information that you received a Topcase Replacement or a Keycap replacement” and “may also download and submit a Paper Claim Form or request from the Claims Administrator,” described on the website.

After the March 6 deadline passes, a “Final Approval Hearing” is slated to be held on March 16 of this year, according to the website, and any payments would likely go out after that. “If the Settlement is approved, there may be appeals,” it adds. “The appeal process can take time. If there is no appeal, your settlement benefit will be processed promptly. Please be patient.”