macOS High Sierra's App Store System Preferences Can Be Unlocked With Any Password [Updated]

A bug report submitted on Open Radar this week has revealed a security flaw in the current version of macOS High Sierra that allows the App Store menu in System Preferences to be unlocked with any password.

mac app store preferences
MacRumors is able to reproduce the issue on macOS High Sierra version 10.13.2, the latest public release of the operating system, on an administrator-level account by following these steps:

• Click on System Preferences.
• Click on App Store.
• Click on the padlock icon to lock it if necessary.
• Click on the padlock icon again.
• Enter your username and any password.
• Click Unlock.

As mentioned in the radar, we can confirm that the App Store preferences login prompt does not accept an incorrect password with a non-administrator account, meaning there is no behaviour change for standard user accounts.

We also weren't able to bypass any other System Preferences login prompts with an incorrect password, with any type of account, so more sensitive settings such as Users & Groups and Security & Privacy are not exposed by this bug.

Apple has fixed the bug in the latest beta of macOS 10.13.3, which currently remains in testing and will likely be released at some point this month. The bug doesn't exist in macOS Sierra version 10.12.6 or earlier.

On the current macOS 10.13.2, the bug gives anyone with physical, administrator-level access to a Mac the ability to disable settings related to automatically installing macOS software, security, and app updates.

This is the second password-related bug to affect macOS High Sierra in as many months, following a major security vulnerability that enabled access to the root superuser account with a blank password on macOS High Sierra version 10.13.1 that Apple fixed with a supplemental security update.

Following the root password vulnerability, Apple apologized in a statement and added that it was "auditing its development processes to help prevent this from happening again," so this is a rather embarrassing mishap.

We greatly regret this error and we apologize to all Mac users, both for releasing with this vulnerability and for the concern it has caused. Our customers deserve better. We are auditing our development processes to help prevent this from happening again.

It's worth noting that the App Store preferences are unlocked by default on administrator accounts, and given the settings in this menu aren't overly sensitive, this bug is not nearly as serious as the earlier root vulnerability.

Apple will likely want to fix this bug sooner rather than later, so it's possible we'll see a similar supplemental update released at some point, or perhaps it will fast track the release of macOS High Sierra version 10.13.3. Apple did not immediately respond to our request for comment on this matter.

In the meantime, if you keep your App Store preferences behind lock, you'll want to be more diligent in ensuring that you log out of your administrator account when you are away from your Mac. Alternatively, until macOS 10.13.3 is released, users can use a standard account rather than an administrator one.

While this bug isn't as dangerous as the root password vulnerability, being able to bypass a login prompt with any password is something that obviously shouldn't be possible and is an embarrassing oversight for Apple.

Related Forum: macOS High Sierra

Top Rated Comments

Crosscreek Avatar
81 months ago
Oh Apple....Lol

It just works....for anybody.
Score: 99 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OldSchoolMacGuy Avatar
81 months ago
THIS WILL BE THE END OF THE WORLD!

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO APPLE LATELY!? IF SOMEONE HAD ACCESS TO MY MACHINE THEY COULD CHANGE A COUPLE FAIRLY MEANINGLESS APP STORE PREFERENCES!!!!
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shareef777 Avatar
81 months ago
Passwords: now optional!
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Darryl.Jenks Avatar
81 months ago
Wow. Just wow.
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
techno-Zen Avatar
81 months ago
Unreal, maybe focus less on retail store trees and more on stuff like this
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chupa Chupa Avatar
81 months ago
A tad bit disturbing because it's so blatant and Apple has stated security is a feature of its products. These type of basic omissions belie its claims. Feels like Mac OS is becoming Windows with all these security patch updates. Maybe Apple needs to slow down here a bit and get back to basics.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....