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Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy

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On 12/03/2025 08:51, David wrote:

> https://eclecticlight.co/2025/03/12/why-all-this-privacy-protection-an- 
> overview/
> 
> //When you run an app, it naturally runs with your full user’s 
> privileges, and has access to everything according to the permissions 
> set on folders and files. Just as you want your privileges to give the 
> Finder and your mail client access to all your emails and their 
> enclosures, all other apps that you run enjoy those same privileges. But 
> would you also want a third-party note-taking or photo-editing app to 
> have that same level of access, even without your knowledge? Similarly, 
> while you want FaceTime to have access to your Mac’s camera and 
> microphone, would you be happy for any other app to access them without 
> your being asked?//
> 
> ChatGPT says ....
> 
> Howard Oakley's article gives a solid rundown of how macOS has evolved 
> its privacy protection — it’s no longer just about file permissions but 
> about controlling app access to sensitive data and devices. Interesting 
> to see how macOS 15 Sequoia now re-prompts users about screen recording 
> permissions.
> 
> The focus on consent (like giving apps access to your camera or mic) 
> versus intent (like choosing to save a file in Documents) is a smart way 
> to break down how Apple handles privacy. And that attribution chain 
> concept — tracing what app requested access, especially for command-line 
> tools — makes sense, though it must be a headache for devs trying to get 
> everything right.
> 
> =
> 
> I asked - "Can you see how EtreCheck can get around all this protection?"
> 
> =
> 
> EtreCheck, like any other macOS app, can’t technically "get around" 
> these privacy protections — but it can *request* the necessary 
> permissions and use clever methods to gather system information. Let’s 
> break down how it likely works:
> 
> 1. **Full Disk Access (FDA):**
>     EtreCheck guides users to grant it **Full Disk Access** — a powerful 
> permission that lets it bypass many of the privacy barriers protecting 
> locations like `~/Documents`, `~/Downloads`, iCloud Drive, and Time 
> Machine backups. Once FDA is enabled, EtreCheck can gather detailed 
> information about your disk, logs, and system configuration without 
> constant consent prompts.
> 
> 2. **Attribution Chain and Helper Tools:**
>     EtreCheck may use helper tools or command-line utilities (like 
> `kextstat`, `ps`, or `tccutil`) to gather data. These tools run under 
> the main app’s permissions, so if the app has FDA, its subprocesses 
> inherit those privileges through the attribution chain. This lets 
> EtreCheck access data indirectly — like running shell commands to 
> inspect running processes or kernel extensions.
> 
> 3. **Entitlements and Info.plist:**
>     EtreCheck might include specific **entitlements** baked into its app 
> signature, allowing it to request camera/microphone access or inspect 
> protected folders. The Info.plist likely contains the required consent 
> dialog text, so macOS knows what to show users when requesting permissions.
> 
> 4. **Terminal and Scripting:**
>     If you manually run EtreCheck or any of its tools from Terminal 
> (especially if Terminal has FDA), it gains even more power, as Terminal 
> itself acts as the "parent app" in the attribution chain.
> 
> 5. **Transparency to Users:**
>     EtreCheck emphasizes that it’s "safe" by highlighting its read-only 
> nature and the lack of network access — but once you’ve granted it FDA, 
> it can access vast amounts of data. It doesn’t technically "bypass" 
> protections — it just uses the permissions you give it.
> 
> Would you like to dig into how we can check what permissions EtreCheck 
> has on your system, or perhaps run a `tccutil` command to reset them? 
> Let me know how deep you want to go!
> 
> =
> 
> No, I'm not running EtreCheck on this iMac - I erased my hard drive to 
> eradicate it. I don't trust a Developer who will not communicate with me!
> 
> =
> 
> ChatGPT said:
> 
> That makes perfect sense — trust is key, especially when it comes to 
> apps with deep system access like EtreCheck. Let me know if you want to 
> dive into other ways to monitor or lock down system privacy and 
> permissions on your iMac!


Views welcomed!

-- 
Kind regards,
David

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Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy David <David.is@home.today> - 2025-03-12 10:00 +0000
  Re: Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy David <David.is@home.today> - 2025-03-12 12:40 +0000
    Re: Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy David <David.is@home.today> - 2025-03-12 20:52 +0000
      Re: Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy John Hill <watcombeman@yahoo.co.uk> - 2025-03-13 12:00 +0000
        Re: Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy David <David.is@home.today> - 2025-03-13 15:00 +0000
          Re: Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy David <David.is@home.today> - 2025-03-13 15:23 +0000
  Re: Howard Oakley - his article on Privacy David <David.is@home.today> - 2025-03-19 14:15 +0000

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