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The Mac Hacker's Handbook 1st Edition

by Charlie Miller (Author), Dino Dai Zovi (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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As more and more vulnerabilities are found in the Mac OS X (Leopard) operating system, security researchers are realizing the importance of developing proof-of-concept exploits for those vulnerabilities. This unique tome is the first book to uncover the flaws in the Mac OS X operating system―and how to deal with them. Written by two white hat hackers, this book is aimed at making vital information known so that you can find ways to secure your Mac OS X systems, and examines the sorts of attacks that are prevented by Leopard’s security defenses, what attacks aren’t, and how to best handle those weaknesses.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0470395362
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0470395363
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    Wiley
  5. Publication date
    March 3, 2009
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    7.4 x 0.82 x 9.22 inches
  8. Print length
    384 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The honeymoon is over.

Prepare yourself to thwart Mac attacks.

Where security is concerned, Macs have long led a charmed existence. No more. If you manage security for a network that includes OS X machines, this update on the strengths and weaknesses of Mac OS X is required reading.

Beginning with the core differences between Mac OS X and Windows or Linux, this book follows the steps an attacker would take. You will learn the tools needed to find vulnerabilities, the techniques used to exploit them, and the means by which attackers maintain control once they gain access. When you know how they get in, you'll know how to keep them out.

  • See what makes Mac OS® X unique, what security improvements were added with Leopard®, and where vulnerabilities lie

  • Explore uncommon protocols―Bonjour®, the QuickTime® file format, and RTSP

  • Look for bugs in Apple's source code or use a black box technique such as fuzzing

  • Examine stack overflow and heap overflow attacks directed at PowerPC and x86 architectures, as well as shellcodes and payloads

  • Learn to inject code into running processes and how attackers use this technique

  • Understand Mac OS X-specific rootkit techniques

About the Author

CharlIe Millerwon the second CanSecWest Pwn2Own contest in 2008 and was named one of the Top 10 Computer Hackers of 2008 by Popular Mechanics.

Dino Dai Zovi won the first CanSecWest Pwn2Own contest in 2007 and was named one of the 15 Most Influential People in Security by eWEEK.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wiley; 1st edition (March 3, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 384 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0470395362
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0470395363
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.4 x 0.82 x 9.22 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
20 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book useful for learning about technical topics and understanding Mac OSX. They find the concepts sound and applicable. The book is described as a good read at home or on the plane, keeping them interested with detailed accounts of bugs.

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Knowledge baseReadability
4 customers mention "Knowledge base"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book useful for learning about technical topics and Mac OSX details. They say the concepts are sound and applyable, but the examples are not as clear as they could be.

"I really enjoyed this book, it teaches a number of techniques and does a great explaining the motivation behind an attack...." Read more

"The Mac Hacker's Handbook covers a lot of useful technical topics surrounding vulnerability analysis and exploit development for Mac OS X. That said..." Read more

"This book provides insight into many applications and internals of Apple's Mac operating system from a security perspective, which was exactly what..." Read more

"Fantastic book for understanding details of Mac OSX..." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read. They say it's a good book that keeps them interested with detailed accounts of bugs.

"I really enjoyed this book, it teaches a number of techniques and does a great explaining the motivation behind an attack...." Read more

"...A great read at home or on the plane, it keeps you interested with detailed accounts of bugs found on this platform...." Read more

"Good book but needs an update..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • J. Carlson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I really enjoyed this book, it teaches a number of techniques and does a great explaining the motivation behind an attack. I really enjoyed the chapters on dtrace and rootkits, as dtrace allowed me a quick way to peer inside what sys calls are made and the rootkits were discussed very well. While yes, a number of examples are out of date due to Snow Leopard, you can contact the authors, who are very friendly and happy to share some of their public slides, as well as trying to use the ideas to foster your own techniques.

    Overall, a great book for anyone interested in hacking, Mac OS X, or both. Of course, if you're into iPhone hacking, this is a good place to start as well, and the authors know a thing or two there as well...
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Zachary Cutlip
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good book but needs an update
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    The Mac Hacker's Handbook covers a lot of useful technical topics surrounding vulnerability analysis and exploit development for Mac OS X. That said, it doesn't so much teach you directly, as guide your learning. For example, it introduces the use of DTrace on OS X for dynamic analysis. It makes a very good case for DTrace's usefulness in reverse engineering, and for you to go out on your own and learn about it. Its DTrace examples aren't really freestanding, and require some background that you must get yourself. If the book were to give you the necessary background on every topic it introduces, it would be an enormous tome, and the authors probably would still be writing it.

    Think of the book as explaining to you what all tools you need in your Mac hacking toolbox and why you need them, and how to put them together once you have them. It's up to you do go develop those skills on your own.

    The biggest shortcoming of the book, however, is it is out of date. The concepts are sound and still very applicable, but the examples are written for OS X 10.5. Most do not work on Snow Leopard. Many you can get to work if you go out and beat the pavement trying to figure them out. I recommend this, but be aware, your progress through the book will be slow going as you get bogged down trying to figure out how to adapt each example so that it works.

    This book succeeds if taken for what it is: a guide for your learning. You'll need to invest a fair amount of sweat equity to get the most out of it, though.
    29 people found this helpful
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  • Primed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Technical and detailed
    Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2012
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    This book provides insight into many applications and internals of Apple's Mac operating system from a security perspective, which was exactly what I was looking for. A great read at home or on the plane, it keeps you interested with detailed accounts of bugs found on this platform. It goes into detail on how the vulnerabilities occur and even how to exploit them. The authors are world class guys. Highly recommended.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Chris Marlowe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book for understanding details of Mac OSX
    Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Well-written, readable, and fascinating, Charlie and Dino describe what goes on under the covers of Mac OS X, warts and all. They explain the obscure, badly-documented, and unsupported. Well worth reading for anyone who wants to know what's under the covers.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Geir Lillegraven
    2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2015
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    Charlie Millers view of security with Apple OS was interesting but now in 2015 outdated since many new features
    One person found this helpful
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  • Earl Blankenship III
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    book delivered on time and as described
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  • Super Man 7
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2015
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    Great!!!!
    As advertised...
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  • That IT Guy
    2.0 out of 5 stars Well, it at least had Mac in the title
    Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2009
    I have to disagree with the other reviewers of this book. The book seemed to be a jumbled collection of thoughts with only a very faint sense of direction. The book consist of a large number of code samples, but the explaination of these samples lacked.

    The arena for Mac hacking books is relatively small. While I appreciate the effort to put together a basic understanding of the Mac attack surface, the manner in which this book does this seems less than cohesive. Admittedly I have not finished the entire book yet and that is largely due to the fact that reading the book more than a chapter at a time is tiresome.

    I will give the authors credit for venturing into a new area of security research and hope that future books on the subject are easier to read. Not easier as in smaller words, but easier as in thought flow.
    13 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • onelastwildnight
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
    Reviewed in Germany on August 22, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This book "The Mac Hacker's Handbook" is very good for understanding details of OS X. But it needs an update and I really hope there will be in the future a next publication.
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  • M. SMITH
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview for OSX and general Vulnerability Research
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    I was very impressed with this book. I work in computer security but i have only recently begun working with OSX.

    This book gives a brilliant insight into how to attack and secure any operating system not just OSX. The techniques described are more of an introduction to a topic than definitive and i think this is a good thing. I compare this to the shellcoders handbook because i think the two fit together very nicely.

    Mac Hackers gives you the tools and the knowledge to identify the most vulnerable or vital areas of the operating system, Shellcoders then gives you more depth into actually exploiting a bug.

    I dont have any criticisms of this book it delivers exactly what was expected and is one of the best computer security books i have read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Mic
    5.0 out of 5 stars La référence actuelle sur le sujet dans le monde Mac
    Reviewed in France on July 10, 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Les deux auteurs de ce livres ont plusieurs fois montrer les limites de la securite sur MacOs en gagnant différent concours(CanSecWest Pwn2Own) sur l'exploitation des failles de sécurité.
    Ce livre, issu de leurs expériences, est vraiment une source de techniques, de références, de principes pour la compréhension des failles de sécurités et leurs usages possibles sur Mac (montrant au passage les limites de la sécurité sur MacOs)
    Mais c'est un livre qui se mérite, en effet il est très techniques, dense et précis (mais pas confus), il demande des compétences certaines sur le systeme/processeur (assembleur, systeme ...) ou du temps pour les acquérir (on a rien sans rien). Toutefois l'approche du livre via des exemples et des explications des principes permet d'acquérir ces connaissances. Il ouvre alors les portes sur les tréfonds du système MacOs et vous permet de comprendre la subtilité de la recherche des failles de sécurité.
    Donc si vous êtes intéressé par le langage machine, la maîtrise d'outils bas niveaux (Dtrace, Metasploit ...), la connaissance sur les liens entre différentes parties du système Mac (webkit, Mach ...) alors ce livre est fait pour vous.
    Merci aux auteurs pour ce fantastique travail.
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  • JxTx
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good but bit old
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Was a nice introduction, but some chapters are not relevant today. Nine more words required apparently one two three f
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