Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Apple
    • Apple
    • Cybersecurity

    Apple Places Encrypted Binaries in Mac OS X

    By
    Daniel Drew Turner
    -
    November 3, 2006
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      A computer researcher has made public information that Apple Computer has encrypted at the binary level critical parts of its Mac OS X operating system.

      These “Apple-protected binaries” can serve to protect the OS from being pirated and also to make it “nontrivial” to run Mac OS X on non-Apple hardware, said Amit Singh, a member of Googles technical staff in Mountain View, Calif., and the author of “Mac OS X Internals: A Systems Approach.” Singh has also given lectures on Mac OS X to the National Security Agency and at Apples main campus in Cupertino, Calif.

      According to Singh, the parts of Mac OS X that are protected include the Finder and Dock applications, as well as parts of Rosetta (Mac OS Xs application for running Power PC applications on an Intel-based Mac) and services that manage the user interface.

      Singh noted that his list was not exhaustive.

      Much of Mac OS X is open source, including Darwin, an entirely functional, open-source operating system based on FreeBSD 5.0 and the Mach 3.0 microkernel, and the basis for Mac OS X.

      The Apple-protected binaries signal their protected status by setting a special bit in the header, Singh said. When any binary is called upon by the system, the kernel checks to see if it is Apple-protected; if it is, the kernel unencrypts the code through an “unprotect” operation.

      This operation, Singh noted, includes a “dsmos_page_transform” command, in which “dsmos” stands for “Dont Steal Mac OS X”. He also found a “Dont Steal Mac OS X.kext” kernel extension in the operating system.

      “A lot of times, encrypted binaries are used as piracy protection,” said Bruce Schneier, founder and chief technology officer of Mountain View, Calif.-based Counterpace Internet Security. “Its a common technique,” he said.

      “But more often, and probably what its used for here,” he added, “is as anti-reverse engineering.”

      /zimages/5/28571.gifClick here to read about an exploit for an unpatched vulnerability in the Apple Airport driver that ships with some PowerBook and iMac computers.

      Schneier noted that encrypted binaries can affect application performance due to the extra decoding step before they can be executed.

      However, he said, “As computers grow faster, theres more processing power to do stuff like this.

      “The devils in the details,” he said.

      Speaking to concerns about privacy, Schneier said, “Theres nothing sinister here.”

      “This is a method for Apple to protect its code,” he said, adding that for people who still want to try to get Mac OS X running on commodity PC hardware, “you can get around it, but not easily.”

      Apple representatives were not available to comment.

      /zimages/5/28571.gifCheck out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on Apple in the enterprise.

      Daniel Drew Turner

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×