Hacking A Mac From Target Disk Mode

[Ormond]

I've finally learned target disk mode, and have come upon something interesting. I haven't yet fully tested this, so feel free to correct any misunderstandings I may share below.

It appears you can bypass the password protection on any Mac simply by accessing it from another Mac. As example...

Let's say you want to access files on Mac #1, but it's locked behind a password protected login screen, and you don't have the password. To get inside do this...

1) Connect Mac #2 to Mac #1 using a firewire or thunderbolt cable.

2) Boot Mac #1 while holding down the T key.

3) Boot Mac #2.

4) You'll now see the hard drive for Mac #1 on the desktop of Mac #2. You can open that hard drive and explore the file structure without needing a password.

So either I'm missing something here and am posting silly nonsense, or OSX has essentially no security at all. I find the later theory hard to believe, but then I've been doing the above every day for a couple weeks now.

What am I missing here? What say you?

 

[honestone]

Finally, you state something in a well written manner (no whining)! What you says is correct, except you need to reverse steps 2 and 3 above. That is, if Mac #1 is the one you want to "Target", after connecting them you would first boot up Mac #2 (the "controlling" Mac), and then boot Mac #1 while holding down the T key.

Also, the other way to do it is:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201462

Actually, the order I have followed is:

1. While both machines are off, connect the two Macs together via a Firewire or Thunderbolt cable.

2, Start up the "controlling" Mac (Mac #2 above).

3. Start up the "target" Mac (Mac #1 above) while holding down the T key.

 

[Ormond]

Finally, you state something in a well written manner (no whining)!

Finally you make the same snotty little pointless point you make in every other post! Ok, there's the whining you've requested.

Seriously though, doesn't this mean that OSX password protection is kind of a joke? You know, target mode is hardly a skilled operation. Any ten year old could learn it in 2 minutes.

 

[honestone]

Finally you make the same snotty little pointless point you make in every other post! Ok, there's the whining you've requested.

Seriously though, doesn't this mean that OSX password protection is kind of a joke? You know, target mode is hardly a skilled operation. Any ten year old could learn it in 2 minutes.

My point was correct, as just about all your posts contain sone senseless whining. And you did it again, right on queue. I guess I'm not surprised. As I stated, though, that was your first post that did not contain nay whining. Guess it was too much to expect that to last!

Your original, more mature (is that possible with you?) point about this password business could be accurate. I have only used Target Disk Mode for my machines, and both had the identical password. Not sure how it would work using someone else's machine as the one being "targeted". I'm thinking it would work, as in Target Disk Mode the "targeted" machine's drive is treated as an external one, and unless that drive was password protected (not sure if that's possible), one would have "open season" on doing disk maintenance/repairs.

I was reading, though, that via Target Disk Mode, one could use that targeted disk to boot the non-targeted machine. That is, in my case, if I hook my MacMini up as the target to my MacBook Air, boot the Air, then boot the Mini in Target Disk Mode, I could then select the Mini as my start up disk, and boot from it. I would thus be using the Air's display on the MIni.

 

[Ormond]

Here's an idea Mr. Bonestone. Why don't you shut the **** up and go crawl in some little hole. Seriously, there's only so much crap I'm going to listen to before slamming it back down your throat.

 

[honestone]

Huh, dream on, a*****e! You are the one who needs to drift away to oblivion. I am not going to take your BS (Given that you are so full of it, I suspect we'll hear more), you can bank on that.

 

[Cory Cooper]

OK...now I have had enough. I had previously warned you both in this thread: a quick hello. I have been watching this thread slowly deteriorate to this point, and refrained from saying anything. But, you both crossed the line of tolerance with your "asterisk-masked" language and personal threats. This is NOT EVER TOLERATED HERE.

When you became members, you agreed to the Terms of Service and Rules, whether you took the time to read them or not:
"You agree to not use the Service to submit or link to any Content which is defamatory, abusive, hateful, threatening, spam or spam-like, likely to offend, contains adult or objectionable content, contains personal information of others, risks copyright infringement, encourages unlawful activity, or otherwise violates any laws."

This interaction disappoints me greatly, as this is a friendly community created to help people in sometimes very frustrating situations with their technology. As I am a Moderator, and not the Administrator/owner of this community, I will discuss this situation with Ian to determine any additional action to be taken.

In the meantime, I am locking this discussion, and I strongly advise you both to not communicate with each other any longer.

Cory