4 ms·

Actually. Any application can do this and use the new password to become super-user. Really useful for a virus I reckon.

• hackermom 15y ago
  Exactly how can it use the new password to become super-user? You can't assume that everyone runs only the default admin user on their OS X system.
  • keeperofdakeys 15y ago
    The file includes all password hashes, including root. So crack that, then you have superuser.
    • ryannielsen 15y ago
      By default, Mac OS X disables the root user: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1528 http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1528 That said, reset or crack any admin's password and you can go to town with sudo.
      • hmottestad 15y ago
        Default user can use sudo with it's password. That's all you really need.
  • jfriedly 15y ago
    If sudo works the same way on Mac's as it does on Linux, then anyone in the sudoers file could give a rogue application root access.
    • hackermom 15y ago
      It does, and, the only user there, by default, is the first user of the system - the administrator. Not all people use this as their main user.
      • mahyarm 15y ago
        By default, most do, and what happens by default is what matters to virus writers.
  • ZipCordManiac 15y ago
    Not everyone, but I'd reckon MOST people do.
• scott_s 15y ago
  How? The problem he mentions at the end of the post only applies to the currently logged-in account. If you can change root's password, then you're already root, and don't need to change root's password to gain access.