back to article Apple debugs debugger, nukes pesky vulns in iOS, WebKit, macOS

Apple has issued a trio of updates to patch security vulnerabilities in Safari, macOS, and iOS. For iOS, the update to 11.3.1 addresses a total of four CVE-listed vulnerabilities, including one that is present in the debugging tool used across both iOS and the macOS. That vulnerability, CVE-2018-4206, was spotted in Crash …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why not scan properly?

    What's the particular point of the split-infinitive here?

    Why can't it 'fail to scan properly', or 'fail properly to scan'?

    1. Headley_Grange Silver badge

      Re: Why not scan properly?

      I let Fowler be my guide:

      "The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and approve; and (5) those who know and distinguish. "

      There's more if you're interested - GIYF.

      1. Scroticus Canis
        Trollface

        Re: "I let Fowler be my guide"

        (6) DILLIGAF or is that covered by (1)?

    2. albaleo

      Re: Why not scan properly?

      Why can't it 'fail to scan properly', or 'fail properly to scan'?"

      You're second example changes the meaning by having 'properly' modify the verb 'fail'.

      In this case there are two infinitive verbs (scan and redirect) sharing the same 'to' and the same object. I'm assuming the author's intention was for 'properly' to modify both of those verbs. So something like ' fails to scan properly and fails to redirect properly...' But that would separate the object from the verbs making it difficult to follow. As we all know that parentheses can get us out of all kinds of problems, maybe the following is better:

      "Because the camera fails to properly (scan and redirect) URLs from QR codes,..."

      OR

      "Because the camera fails to (scan and redirect) URLs properly from QR codes,..."

      (I don't really care about grammar rules, as long as things can be understood without too much effort.)

    3. Aodhhan

      Re: Why not scan properly?

      [Insert here, why you'd toot your own horn and bring attention to your 'apparent' knowledge of grammar on an InfoSec site]

      I imagine you berate children who make mistakes in order to display your superiority.

      You really need to get over yourself.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Re: Why not scan properly?

        > [Insert here, why you'd toot your own horn and bring attention to your 'apparent' knowledge of grammar on an InfoSec site]

        Because it's a cunning plan to distract Windows fans from dissing Apple?

        1. Chairman of the Bored

          Re: Why not scan properly?

          @2+2=5 cunning plan? Or is the plan to use cunnilingus to distract the windows fans? Think I saw that movie. Damn, I'm distracted already. Sorry!

  2. Dan 55 Silver badge

    Because the split infinitive rule only came about because it was wrong in Latin, but we've moved on a bit since then. And it was a different language.

    I started my sentence with because on purpose.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      How do you split an infinitive in Latin?

      It's a pity The Economist took its style guide offline because it had some nice examples of famous authors splitting their infinitives as well as ending their sentences with prepositions.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Because you started the sentence with because, isn't that a frontal adverbial ?

      1. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge

        "Because you started the sentence with because, isn't that a frontal adverbial ?"

        Truly, starting a sentence with "because" isn't beginning a sentence with a frontal adverbial, because "because" isn't an adverb; it's a conjunction. So Gove away and learns the parts of speech.

        And as for people moaning about split infinitives, they should be forced to use "unto" for the preposition and reserve "to" explicitly for infinitives, as happened in ye olde days. Mainly.

        1. Pier Reviewer

          “And as for people moaning about split infinitives, they should be forced to use "unto" for the preposition and reserve "to" explicitly for infinitives, as happened in ye olde days. Mainly.”

          I’m so doing that! Until I get bored / beaten up by the bigger kids.

  3. Nick Ryan Silver badge

    Good

    Shows that they are doing their job. The codebase, particularly for an OS will be extensive and unless there is a solid principle of "trust no inputs" at every exposed level then problems will be found. Unfortunately, testing inputs rigorously adds to processing overhead but it's something that has to be done.

    1. Charlie Clark Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: Good

      Yes, except that because Apple released this as an out of bounds update you got from 10.13.4 to 10.13.4…

      Great help when it comes to submitting bug reports!

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No updates for iOS 10.3.x

    Naturally, the iOS updates will only be made available on the iOS 11.x release series.

    So all of us stuck with iOS 10.3 - due to having no choice but to use that due to apple's retarded dropping of 32-bit apps with 11 - are now effectively hosed from a security standpoint.

    Thanks for nothing apple.

    1. Tessier-Ashpool

      Re: No updates for iOS 10.3.x

      The world moves on. Apple are much better than most vendors at supporting older equipment. Rich though they might be, they don't have the manpower to devote vast resources to maintenance of obsolete products and code. That's life. My lovely shiny Apple laptop will, one day, be declared a dodo, and I'll have to get a new one.

      Thank your lucky stars you aren't one of the unlucky 96% of Android users who aren't on the latest version of that particular operating system. Contrast that with a mere 24% of iOS users.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: No updates for iOS 10.3.x

        > The world moves on.

        Well, for my my iPad is an iPad Pro not even 12 months old yet. It came with iOS 10.x, and has 32-bit apps transferred across from older iPad. No replacement for some of them, as the software creator went broke. And nothing else does the job.

        It's not a case of "the world moves on". It's a case of apple deciding to shaft their users. Even when they have a choice not to. Fuck them.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: No updates for iOS 10.3.x

          Isn't more the developer of your app who shafted their users when they went broke and orphaned them?

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