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Apple Releases macOS High Sierra 10.13 Supplemental Update With Fix for APFS Disk Utility Bug and Keychain Vulnerability

Thursday October 5, 2017 11:21 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released a supplemental update to macOS High Sierra 10.13, the first update to the macOS High Sierra operating system that was released to the public in late September. The macOS High Sierra 10.13 update comes just over one week after the release of macOS High Sierra.

The new version of macOS High Sierra 10.13 is a free update for all customers who have a compatible machine. The update can be downloaded using the Software Update function in the Mac App Store.


The supplemental macOS High Sierra 10.13 update addresses a software vulnerability that could expose the passwords of encrypted Apple File System volumes in plain text in Disk Utility.

Apple has released a support document alongside the Supplemental Update that walks users through the process of protecting their data if macOS High Sierra is showing a password instead of a password hint on an encrypted APFS volume.

Steps include installing the new update, creating an encrypted backup of data for the affected volume, erasing the drive, reformatting to APFS, then APFS (Encrypted), and finally restoring the data that was backed up.

A separate security support document says that the update also fixes a vulnerability that could let a hacker steal the usernames and passwords of accounts stored in Keychain using a malicious third-party app.

And finally, according to the release notes accompanying the update, it also improves installer robustness, fixes a cursor graphic bug in Adobe InDesign, and resolves an issue where messages couldn't be deleted from Yahoo accounts in Mail.

macOS High Sierra introduces a new more modern file system designed for flash storage (APFS), Metal 2, Safari improvements that protect user privacy and prevent autoplay videos, and improvements to several apps like Photos, Mail, Notes, and more.
[ 213 comments ]


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OldSchoolMacGuy
16 months ago
Someone will complain about having to install updates. They'd rather have Microsoft which would wait to patch a security issue because it's not part of their update release schedule. There were a number complaining of recent iOS updates in this way.
Rating: 16 Votes
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phillytim
16 months ago
At least Apple has been responsive, as the APFS vulnerability was just revealed within the past day.
Rating: 15 Votes
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Amazing Iceman
16 months ago
That was the fastest fix I've ever seen..!

How about other meaningful updates?
Rating: 15 Votes
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bwintx
16 months ago
Excellent. The bug gets publicized this morning, it's fixed by midday (my time). Can't beat a deal like that. I don't care what the haters say.
Rating: 14 Votes
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jayducharme
16 months ago

At least Apple has been responsive, as the APFS vulnerability was just revealed within the past day.

I wouldn't be surprised if Apple knew about this bug before it was publicized and already had been working on a fix.
Rating: 11 Votes
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WatchTheThrone
16 months ago
Apple with the quickness!!!!
Rating: 8 Votes
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antonis1
16 months ago
They also fix the keychain bug, which malicious apps could take advantage of and extract all keychain passwords.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208165
Rating: 8 Votes
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kingjames1970
16 months ago
...fixes a cursor graphic bug in Adobe InDesign

HURRAH! That was v quick. Thought we'd wait a couple of months for that - kudos to Apple for the speed of this update.
Rating: 8 Votes
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mwined
16 months ago

What's troubling is that Apple stores your passwords unencrypted or has a way to decrypt them.

That's inexcusable.

Normally when you key in a password on any sane operating system, it encrypts what you keyed in with an one-way encryption algorithm. Then it compares the encrypted string vs. what's stored encrypted. That's the way it's supposed to work.

What this says is that Apple either chooses to ignore that, or doesn't care. Either way, the cat's out of the bag, there's a way for Apple to see or recover your password easily.


What is troubling is the inability of some folk to actually read and comprehend the technical details of how a thing works.
This is an issue with "Disk Utility.app", and effects those that "added" an encrypted APFS volume with a password hint, using Disk Utility.app, after installing the release version of High Sierra.
The password is not "stored" unencrypted, unless you added an encrypted APFS volume using Disk Utility.app - with a password hint, after installing the release version of High Sierra. Even then it is merely -- at the time of clicking the button to initiate the encryption -- copying a text string that has not yet been encrypted (but hidden by dots) to the Hint field.

Should the OS have been released without this bug? Yes.
Did it actually effect you or your boot volume? Not unless you like doing things the hard way.
If you have added an encrypted APFS volume, install the supplemental update on your boot volume, and follow the instructions to remediate the password in the hints field for that added volume.

All that said, I'm sure there are some that won't be able to read past the first sentence of my reply before the outrage machine starts typing.
Rating: 6 Votes
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Porco
16 months ago
If they only just found about the Disk Utility bug then this was very fast, so well done to them on that.
Rating: 6 Votes

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