4 ms·

It's not just that it was an executable. The real issue is that Little Snitch is distributed as a pkg (not that that's the developers' fault, as there's no way

It's not just that it was an executable. The real issue is that Little Snitch is distributed as a pkg (not that that's the developers' fault, as there's no way to implement the app's functionality with just a simple app). But distributing it as a pkg that requires installation with an admin password is how the malware takes hold of a user's computer. AFAIK it is always safe to open an app you download from the web (although the app may not respect your privacy).

saagarjha 6y ago
> The real issue is that Little Snitch is distributed as a pkg (not that that's the developers' fault, as there's no way to implement the app's functionality with just a simple app). In Big Sur, it might be. > AFAIK it is always safe to open an app you download from the web (although the app may not respect your privacy). Apps can still encrypt your disk this way.
- bobbylarrybobby 6y ago
  Does apple not throw up a permission dialog whenever an app tries to access just about any part of your filesystem? Like this: https://nektony.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/grant-acces-documents.png https://nektony.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/grant-acces-d... I could be wrong, maybe it's only for certain kinds of apps.
  - comex 6y ago
    That’s for all apps, but only for specific parts of the filesystem, so there’s still plenty of room for apps to cause havoc by messing with everything else. This is separate from the older sandboxing feature that’s designed to fully isolate apps from the rest of the system, which is mandatory for Mac App Store apps but opt-in for other apps.
    - saagarjha 6y ago
      Mandatory for new Mac App Store apps
michaelmrose 6y ago
>FAIK it is always safe to open an app you download from the web No its not various ways to break out of sandboxes exist.
- Wowfunhappy 6y ago
  And you don't even know that the app is sandboxed!
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
fortran77 6y ago
The real issue is people are trying to steal it and getting fooled by a malicious site.

saagarjha 6y ago

> The real issue is that Little Snitch is distributed as a pkg (not that that's the developers' fault, as there's no way to implement the app's functionality with just a simple app). In Big Sur, it might be. > AFAIK it is always safe to open an app you download from the web (although the app may not respect your privacy). Apps can still encrypt your disk this way.

bobbylarrybobby 6y ago
Does apple not throw up a permission dialog whenever an app tries to access just about any part of your filesystem? Like this: https://nektony.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/grant-acces-documents.png https://nektony.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/grant-acces-d... I could be wrong, maybe it's only for certain kinds of apps.
- comex 6y ago
  That’s for all apps, but only for specific parts of the filesystem, so there’s still plenty of room for apps to cause havoc by messing with everything else. This is separate from the older sandboxing feature that’s designed to fully isolate apps from the rest of the system, which is mandatory for Mac App Store apps but opt-in for other apps.
  - saagarjha 6y ago
    Mandatory for new Mac App Store apps

michaelmrose 6y ago

>FAIK it is always safe to open an app you download from the web No its not various ways to break out of sandboxes exist.

Wowfunhappy 6y ago
And you don't even know that the app is sandboxed!

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

fortran77 6y ago

The real issue is people are trying to steal it and getting fooled by a malicious site.