SECURITY FLAWS MacOS USERS SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR

Sharon opened Microsoft Teams on her MacOSto join a meeting, while doing so a pop-up appeared on her screen prompting herto grant access to her microphone and camera. She granted the applicationaccess and was able to join the meeting, that was all that the threat actorneeded to gain access to her sensitive information.  

The threat actor was able to record hervideos and audio clips without her knowledge, this is a result of flaws in the MacOSapplication.

Eight vulnerabilitieswere discovered in Microsoft Applications for MacOS which could be leveraged onby a threat actor to access sensitive information. This is done by takingadvantage of the operating system’s permissions-based model, the TCCframework. The affected applications include Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel PowerPoint,and OneNote.

Dangers of Giving Permissions

Permissions determine what resources an app has access to, such as a microphone, camera, files, folders, screen recording, and user input.  If a threat actor were to gain access to these, they could leak sensitive information or worse still escalate privileges.  

Security Measures to put in place

While most operating systems rely on Discretionary Access Control (DAC) for security, this approach offers limited protection against malware with administrative privileges. Apple's macOS, however, goes further by incorporating robust measures to safeguard user data and prevent unauthorized access.

The Transparency, Consent, and Control (TCC) framework empowers users to manage how applications interact with sensitive information. By granting or denying permissions, users can ensure that only trusted apps have access to their data.

Sandboxing is another crucial security feature that isolates applications from one another, preventing malicious code from spreading. This helps to thwart code injection attacks, a common technique used by hackers to gain unauthorized access.

macOS also employs hardened runtime, which makes it difficult for attackers to execute arbitrary code within legitimate processes.

A Proactive Approach

To enhance your security, avoid granting unnecessary permissions to applications. Stay informed about the latest security threats and implement best practices to protect your systems and data."