After 20 years, Apple patches a 1999 modem bug

In 1999 summer, when Apple released its “best internet operating system ever”—Mac OS 9—there was one bug that made Macs vulnerable to remote access attacks. Basically, one you call another Mac, and operate it with full access without needing usernames, passwords or any such security measure.

Hill happened to get a 56k modem to connect to his parent’s mid-'90s Mac Performa, to be able to take advantage of the Mac OS 9 and the connectivity it offered.

Soon after, he discovered the remote access feature, and 20 years of poking around the childhood fascination, he unearthed the modem configuration bus that has been in Apple’s operating systems for all these years. Apple patched it up quickly though.

He will be presenting this 20-year-old bug at the Objective by the Sea Mac security conference in Monaco. The potential of technology is truly beyond our imagination. There are vulnerabilities often missed, which open doors to hackers. While not perfect, technology is ever advancing; all we need to do is be aware and keep an eye out for issues and security patches.

Read more about the story behind this 20-year-old bug here.