> But if you have arbitrary code execution on a MacBook, you probably have everything you want from that MacBook You probably have all the locally available da

> But if you have arbitrary code execution on a MacBook, you probably have everything you want from that MacBook You probably have all the locally available data you could want. You may not have access to passwords, or other data that comes from actively using an online site which doesn't currently have active credentials (because they time them out or the user logged out previously). For example, depending on the person and the documents they keep locally, you might not have access to any banking information. Privilege escalation opens up a whole slew of capabilities that make it much easier to achieve that, not to mention allowing a rootkit to get access back immediately after a reboot. Local account exploits are like a burgler breaking in (even repeatedly) while you aren't home. Privilege escalation is like them installing a remote camera system and recording your every action while you are home. Both are pretty horrible, but certain things are much more likely to be exposed with active monitoring of what you are doing over extended periods...