From the Globe and Mail:
Some computers with wireless Internet capabilities are vulnerable to attacks that could expose passwords, bank account details and other sensitive information, even if the machines aren’t actually on-line, researchers said.
The researchers demonstrated the vulnerability at a computer-security conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, showing how to take complete control of a MacBook from Apple Computer Inc. But the two researchers, David Maynor, 28, and Jon Ellch, a 24-year-old who prefers to go by his hacker handle Johnny Cache, said the technique will work on an array of machines, including those that run Microsoft Corp.’s Windows and the free Linux operating system.
“The problem itself isn’t really an Apple problem,” said Mr. Maynor, a researcher at SecureWorks Inc., a network-monitoring company.
“This is a systemic problem across the industry.”