PSA: If You Upgrade to macOS High Sierra 10.13.1, You'll Need to Reinstall Apple's Root Security Fix

Mac owners who are still running macOS High Sierra 10.13 and who have already installed Apple's root security fix on that version of the operating system will need to install it once again upon upgrading to macOS 10.13.1, reports Wired.

Security researchers running a patched version of the original macOS High Sierra update, 10.13.0, told Wired that the root bug was reintroduced upon installing the macOS 10.13.1 update. After updating, they needed to install Apple's security patch again. Even that didn't fix the issue until their machines were rebooted.

rootbug

Those who had not yet upgraded their operating system from the original version of High Sierra, 10.13.0, to the most recent version, 10.13.1, but had downloaded the patch, say the "root" bug reappears when they install the most recent macOS system update.

And worse, two of those Mac users say they've also tried re-installing Apple's security patch after that upgrade, only to find that the "root" problem still persists until they reboot their computer, with no warning that a reboot is necessary.

The root fix, released on Wednesday for macOS High Sierra 10.13.0 and 10.13.1, addresses a serious vulnerability that was first discovered a day earlier on Tuesday. The bug enabled the root superuser on a Mac with a blank password and no security check, letting anyone bypass the security of an admin account with the username "root" and no password.

While the security update successfully fixes the issue, it appears Apple may not have releases a modified and patched version of macOS 10.13.1, so customers who installed the update on 10.13 might think they're protected upon updating to 10.13.1, but they're not. Instead, the bug is fully re-introduced.

Apple may fix this problem now that the oversight has been pointed out, but in the meantime, customers upgrading from macOS High Sierra 10.13 to 10.13.1 should make sure to download the security update a second time and restart to be certain the root vulnerability is patched.

This won't be an issue when the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 update is released, as Apple patched the bug in the macOS High Sierra 10.13.2 beta that was released this morning.

Related Forum: macOS High Sierra

Top Rated Comments

Val-kyrie Avatar
84 months ago
I am speechless
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
velocityg4 Avatar
84 months ago
how much worse can High Sierra get?
27 pages of people with this issue.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8097885?start=0&tstart=0

I've noted it as well and it is quite serious. I setup a new Mac Pro and updated it to High Sierra. It crashed constantly. Got a replacement unit from the vendor. It came with High Sierra already installed and does the exact same thing. It seems to be exacerbated if you have numerous windows open and multiple high resolution displays.

There was a reason why Steve Jobs gave up on the yearly OS X updates. It forced shoddy releases. They need to go back to releasing OS X version when they are ready. Not to hit a yearly mark. The best OS is one you don't even notice is there.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
84 months ago
how much worse can High Sierra get?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
antiprotest Avatar
84 months ago
For a while I have been irritated at Apple, but their incompetence has reached a point that I am beginning to be impressed.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thadoggfather Avatar
84 months ago
It just works:

After applying patch, then a patch to fix the patch’s issues.

Then go .1, rinse and repeat

Just in case it doesnt you can run some terminal commands

Weeee
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Krafty Avatar
84 months ago
Finally.

I am root.

Again.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
iPad And Calculator App Feature

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...