Everyone is keen on thinking that Macs are among the safest devices on the market. But it would seem that Apple’s products are as vulnerable as other devices. According to a tech specialist, Apple’s latest security patch can still be bypassed by any malware program.

The Gatekeeper forgot to lock the gate

Patrick Wardle, a researcher and a computer specialist, is currently working with the tech giant in order to find the holes in Mac’s security protocols.

For many months now, the avid researcher kept probing Mac’s defense. Wardle declared the last version of Gatekeeper was very loose in terms of security, meaning that any malware application, masquerading as a legit app could get past the security system and infect the computer.

After many trials and errors, Apple managed to release a new patch, one that will be able to repair any breach in the security net. Discovering Apple’s newest addition to the Gatekeeper, Wardle took it upon himself to test the strength of the program.

It was he who declared that the new patch was so inefficient in terms of security, which he managed to find around it in just 5 minutes.

So, let’s talk about malware. We all know for a fact that last year nearly every gadget available on the market was targeted by malware attacks. It wasn’t any different in Apple’s case. Moreover, it would seem that the latest hack attacks were focused on bringing down the allegedly fool-proof Mac protection grid.

According to Wardle and to several tech specialists, infecting a Mac with a malicious code was a piece of cake. Malicious code would be embedded in legit applications, thus being capable of following the all-seeing Gatekeeper.

The security program primary goal is to check the digital signature of the application. If the application had Apple’s digital signature, then Gatekeeper would allow the user to install the application. Same thing happened with the digital signature of third-party applications.

But it seems that the Gatekeeper wasn’t infallible. In fact, very often, seemingly legit applications available on the web contained malware code.

Wardle, a computer scientists, declared that Apple’s latest security patch can still be bypassed. Currently, the researcher is aiding Apple to patch all the holes in Gatekeeper’s security grid.

Until another version of the app blocker is launched, Wardle recommendation to the user is to download applications directly from Apple’s online store. Furthermore, the users must download these applications via a secure/ encrypted internet connection.

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