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Single user mode to disrupt network or computers

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by 5jgibbs 2 views

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Well, at the school, other students are booting up in single user mode on the apples. It is apple ? s to boot up like that. But it gives whomever full root access to ?\? . IDK much about apples new os x so is this a problem. Because there is no prompt for passwords or anything.
Thanks

Jeremy

4 replies

by techjock

From a security standpoint, the ability of general users to reach root on any system is not good. The Mac OS X machines should have a root password defined and then the OS should be locked down to prevent tampering.

Of course, if what the school wants is for the students to experiment and explore, then leaving the computers open might not be a 'problem'.

by jdclyde

Many students can not use the systems for what they paid to use them for (school work) if some selfcentered hacker wannabe goes in as root and starts making changes to these systems.

This is what is known as vandalism. Just because a student has paid the price of a class does NOT give them the right to make ANY unauthorized changes to the systems. If caught on most campus's, this is grounds for expulsion, as it should be.

Now, if the systems reghost the setup after every reboot, THEN there wouldn't be an issue.

by 5jgibbs

Mr. Rankains is not to happy about it. He knows about the safe boot, but password protecting that mode, causes problems.. he says he will talk with some others and see what can be done. But ya.. he is pissed.

by jdclyde

Have you called support to find a solution?

How about talking to admins at other schools who have already run into the same problems and came up with a solution?

Got to be a way to lock them down. Sorry, but I don't know what that way would be.

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