Does this exploit still exist in Leopard?

[Papajohn56]

Basically allowing you to create a new admin account:

Log in under single-user mode (cmd-S at boot)

Mount your drive (/sbin/mount -uw / ) at the command line

type command: rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone


type command: reboot

This makes your computer think it's the first time starting up, and allows for creation of a new administrator account.

 

[devilot]

😱

I'm not all techy-- I don't get the Terminal commands, but am curious-- how would that be different from going to System Preferences> System> Accounts> "+" and making that new account have admin privileges?

Are there even more "hidden" techy privileges the Terminal way?

 

[Papajohn56]

😱

I'm not all techy-- I don't get the Terminal commands, but am curious-- how would that be different from going to System Preferences> System> Accounts> "+" and making that new account have admin privileges?

Are there even more "hidden" techy privileges the Terminal way?

This is if you don't have administrator privileges. Any joe schmoe could go up to a random Mac and do this without knowing the admin password

 

[mkrishnan]

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106482

Macs have had the capacity to block access to single user mode for years... you just enable a firmware password.

 

[Eidorian]

Any device to which one has physical access has NO meaningful security.

Use FileVault if you're that worried.

 

[miniConvert]

Any device to which one has physical access has NO meaningful security.

Totally, it's hardly an exploit. Similar workarounds exist for Windows if you're sat in front of the box.

 

[redshift20]

Perhaps you could just try it and tell us all if it still exists?