2 replies to this topic

[Corrine]

Quote

After studying the batteries in several MacBooks, MacBook Pros and MacBook Airs, security researcher Charlie Miller found that Apple laptop microcontroller chips are shipped with default passwords that, once discovered, can be used as a hiding spot for malware as well as a conduit for disabling the battery and even blowing it up."These batteries just aren't designed with the idea that people will mess with them," Miller told Forbes. "What I'm showing is that it's possible to use them to do something really bad."

Complete article at Apple MacBook Batteries Vulnerable to Malware, Destruction

[ChipDoc]

It strikes me that you'd need a high level of access to the machine before you could make adjustments n the battery's microcontroller, even with the password.  Since the new Mas OS flavors are essentially Linux versions, that'd mean either physical access to the machine or administrator access during a current live session.Since most laptops aren't being run 24/7 and are being actually watched a large part of the time while running, I'd think the risk here is more theoretical than menacing.  Still in all, forewarned is forearmed.  Thanks for posting the link!

[Tushman]

ChipDoc, on Jul 24 2011, 01:05 AM, said:

Since most laptops aren't being run 24/7 and are being actually watched a large part of the time while running, I'd think the risk here is more theoretical than menacing.

All malware threats are theoretical until you happen to be the unlucky person that gets infected.