Apple overriding Apple TV mods?
updated 07:45 am EDT, Thu March 29, 2007
Apple TV Mods Overridden
Apple may have a means of reversing hacks made to its own devices, according to reports. Multiple owners who have successfully used a security bypass in the past to install their own software on the media hub have suddenly found that the access to their systems was closed overnight, preventing anything but the official Apple TV front end from running properly.
"My startup script to disable the firewall got its permissions stripped," wrote one user.
Allegations have been made that Apple is remotely disabling third-party modifications through a back door in the device's code. Others, however, have noted that the stripped version of Mac OS X that manages the hub may have a specialized edition of the Mac's overnight maintenance process that automatically resets access permissions and closes potentially vulnerable connections, protecting the system from outside attacks.
No workarounds are known to exist for the system reset, though to date no hobbyists have disconnected the device from a local network to verify its behavior.
Apple in recent months has been closing down its embedded versions of Mac software, receiving the most criticism for closing off the iPhone edition of Mac OS X to outside development despite the tendency in smartphones towards third-party software packages.
I doubt it's a back door
03/29, 08:30am reply
I'd be quite shocked if Apple used a back door to reset AppleTV systems, or even intentionally wrote code to disable user hacks.
Most likely they realized the AppleTV had to be a never-fail box, so has more thorough cleanup code than typical OS X. This shouldn't be hard to work around, probably just some cron jobs that could be edited or disabled.
mitchcohen
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2005
Awesome
03/29, 08:37am reply
Apple TV is going to be HUGE. Apple OWNS! Gotta love this world!
jarod
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2005
Read the Legal section
03/29, 09:08am reply
It's about 50 pages long, but it does state in there that Apple will restore the software to protect their intellectual poperty.
It made for a good read.
GORDYmac
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Dec 1999
linux
03/29, 09:10am reply
hey that's what we will have appletvlinux for: no more nasty surprises and easter eggs from Apple ;)
It would make a nice little home server if you attach a bigger hard drive via USB. Just imagine the possibilities!
I'm sure someone is already working on getting Linux to work on that thing. After all it employs pretty much stock hardware. Shouldn't be too hard.
doemel
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2006
oh, and
03/29, 09:12am reply
i don't think it's a nasty back door thing (you could defeat that easily with a firewall). it's more likely something in the line of mitchcohen's explanation.
doemel
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2006
YEAH....
03/29, 09:19am reply
the iPhone will be hacked also_ And 3rd party Apps will be abound_ Oh Happy day_
UberFu
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 2002
repeat after me...
03/29, 09:50am reply
e....u....l....a....
apparently one person read theirs.
others donned tinfoil hats.
jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
linux? please....
03/29, 10:05am reply
WTF would I want to spend $299 on the aTV--which I already did and love--just to dump the software [one of the core reasons for Apple's success] and the beauty of the machine and replace it with something I have to manage to make a "nice little home server"? For that, I plugged my 750gb drive into my Airport Extreme. You want a nice little home server? Just buy a box. Buying the aTV just to strip it is cataclysmically stupid.
Pale Rider
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2000