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0 pointshw8y ago0 comments

There’s no need to do this yourself to verify it. Doing so creates a “root” account that others may be able to take advantage of if you don’t disable it.

That should be much higher up in the article.

0 comments

geoelectric8y ago

I really wish it had been. I had no idea it was something that A) left droppings, and B) actually enables direct login from boot with root/no pw once you've done it.

Apple's going to have to nuke everyone's root account on an update. I don't see any other solution that won't leave a shitload of machines with open root accounts from trying the fun tweet and then never setting a pw.

FabHK8y ago

Wouldn't it make sense to propose this combined diagnostic and workaround:

1. Try logging in with root and a good password. It should not work (if it does, root with that password had been enabled before).

2. Now, try logging in again with root and that same password.

2a. If it works, your system was vulnerable to that bug, but you've now fixed the problem, as you've enabled root and set a good password (so nobody else can log in unless they find that password).

2b. If it doesn't work, it looks like root had been set up before with some other password (maybe empty), and it's conceivable that someone has exploited that bug on your machine before.

Is that understanding correct?

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