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Resolved Security Risks staying on macOS 10.13.6 (High Sierra) ??

G

GalileoSeven

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jan 3, 2015
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In my eternal flip-flopping between Mac & Windows, I've decided to give my gaming machine a break & use my old Mac Mini as my new 'daily driver' of sorts. It seems to be handling things well - doesn't seem too slow with a few web tabs, iMessage and VLC Media Player open (upgraded the RAM from 4 to 8GB a long time back). Thing is, it's quite old (a mid 2011 example) and is stuck on High Sierra (10.13.6).

Even though I use uBlock origin + Ghostery on my browser of choice, I'm wondering if I'm leaving myself vulnerable from a security standpoint? I don't check email on here and don't download any apps anymore, so I wouldn't think there'd be a problem, but I thought I'd ask just the same.
 
Gregg2 said:
You're fine. Just follow safe practices and nothing bad will happen.
Click to expand...
I consider this statement to be dubious.
Nothing has to happen but it can. There will be unpatched security vulnerabilities. The only question is how many there are and how bad they are.
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Catalina still buggy?

Yes, Catalina is buggy. https://www.intego.com/mac-security-blog/apples-poor-patching-policies-potentially-make-users-security-and-privacy-precarious/
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I use 10.12 Low Sierra on my 2015 MacBook, no problems.

I've never cared much about "security" (i.e., having the latest release).
It's not bothered me at all (see below).

(I did once download a file that seems to have had some adware/malware with it -- running MalwareBytes cleaned that up pronto...)
 
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Thanks for the responses thus far. I did a quick search before posting this and didn't see any similar threads, but afterwards, some googling did turn some up and the consensus has been more or less the same (both ways) ?
??
 
Sounds like there is a risk. If not through email or downloading apps, then through your browser. Last year, the chromium browser received patches for something like 16 zero-day exploits. Safari also received updates for zero-day exploits (didn't keep count for 2021). Latest version of Safari is 15.2; didn't think the Safari with High Sierra can go past version 13. Hopefully, your browser of choice is currently receiving security updates.

Perhaps it would be wise to keep an offline backup of your data (just in case).
 
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PS - You can now run Catalina, Big Sur, and even Monterey on your old 2011 Mac Mini. The 2011 will take up to 16gb ram and any size sata SSD. You already have 8gb, a cheap SSD upgrade and your Mini will be good for at least a few more years.
 
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At the very least, you should use a recently updated web browser instead of Safari and avoid apps that display web content (though that is often hard to see). High Sierra’s Safari and WebKit components (for showing web contents in apps) are old and have numerous known vulnerabilities.

I would not bother with High Sierra.
 
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Running any macOS older than Catalina, make sure you are not using the native Safari that came with the macOS. Use current Firefox, Brave browser, etc. Also, download a copy of "Silent Knight". It will help keep Gate Keeper and XProtect (Apple Security files) and others, updated. "Malwarebytes" is another app to download (free version) to prevent malware from infecting your Mac. Best advice, practice safe browsing habits.
 
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GalileoSeven said:
In my eternal flip-flopping between Mac & Windows, I've decided to give my gaming machine a break & use my old Mac Mini as my new 'daily driver' of sorts. It seems to be handling things well - doesn't seem too slow with a few web tabs, iMessage and VLC Media Player open (upgraded the RAM from 4 to 8GB a long time back). Thing is, it's quite old (a mid 2011 example) and is stuck on High Sierra (10.13.6).

Even though I use uBlock origin + Ghostery on my browser of choice, I'm wondering if I'm leaving myself vulnerable from a security standpoint? I don't check email on here and don't download any apps anymore, so I wouldn't think there'd be a problem, but I thought I'd ask just the same.
Click to expand...
Download Firefox they make an extended support release that has modern security and still loads most modern web pages correctly and still runs on high sierra i daily a 2011 MBP with high sierra and i only use firefox
 
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Agree that you should download Firefox immediately. Running an outdated version of Safari is like playing Russian roulette. The odds may be in your favor but there is high risk.

As for the need to get a supported device, I would say it's a "best practices" issue. It boils down to risk tolerance and how you use the device.
 
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