When you use HTTPS, the addresses you visit are supposed to be encrypted, regardless of what network you’re connected to. A newly discovered vulnerability proves that’s not necessarily true.
If you’re connected to an insecure wireless network, especially one that isn’t vouched for, HTTPS alone won’t protect you, security researchers Itzik Kotler and Amit Klein said this week in a talk at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. With the right configuration, a malicious network could discover every supposedly protected URL you visited.
“We will demonstrate that, by forcing your browser/system to use a malicious PAC (Proxy AutoConfiguration) resource, it is possible to leak HTTPS URLs,” says the talk’s description.
The vulnerability potentially affects Windows, Linux, and Mac computers regardless of browser: IE, Safari, and Chrome. But don’t panic about this affecting you at home, or at work. If you connect to a secure network, this doesn’t affect you. Instead, it’s something owners of supposedly free Wi-Fi networks could set up as part of a phishing operation.
It’s worth noting that the content of the sites you visit is not revealed by this vulnerability. But many sites put vital information, including usernames and even passwords, into URLs over HTTPS. It’s a bad security practice, but some developers assume that HTTPS protects information in such cases.
In other cases, even sharing the URLs you visit is too much information to give potential hackers.
The only way to truly be safe from exploits like this is to not connect to networks you cannot vouch for. If you’re in a coffee shop, verify that it offers Wi-Fi, and the network’s name, before connecting.
And even if an unsecured network is vouched for, assume that your information still might not be secure, even if you’re using HTTPS. Check out our guide to browsing the web privately, then set up a VPN or Tor to browse anonymously even on public networks. Even then, avoiding untrusted networks is probably the best bet.
Exploits like this prove that public Wi-Fi networks aren’t without risk, so take the time to inform yourself. It’s worth it.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.