Sudo sudo sudo sudo sudo! I’ve sent out more than a few tweets about the CVE-2021-3156 Heap-Based Buffer Overflow in Sudo. I was trying to find out if macOS was vulnerable and if Apple would release a fix.
Today Apple released that fix it’s included in the following macOS Updates
1. macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 Update
2. macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update
3. macOS Mojave 2021-002 Security Update
2016-2017 15″ MacBook Pro Battery Problems + Replacement Program
This update also addresses a battery issue in 2016 & 2017 MacBook Pro Laptops. Update addresses an issue that may prevent the battery from charging in some 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro models.
Apple has just released an article that goes over this issue and how you can get your 2016-2017 MacBook Pro battery replaced if it’s having this issue.
The macOS Big Sur upgrade is not checking to make sure enough free HD space is available. The upgrade will start, then run out of space and fail. If FV2 encryption is enabled, you will be locked out of your data!
UPDATED 10/07/21 –Latest Updates!!! – For the latest information be sure to check the UPDATES section below.
Quick Summary – When you start the macOS Big Sur upgrade, the installer should first check to make sure your Mac has enough free space available. If the installer finds that you do not have enough free space for the upgrade, it will stop and not let you continue. You should see a pop up message showing you how much space is needed before you can attempt the upgrade again. This free space check is NOT working. The upgrade will start even if you only have 1% of free space left and will fail. Your hard drive is now 100% full and the installer is now stuck in a boot loop attempting to finish the install. This leaves you unable access your data! I will go over all the details below and show you a fix at the end.
I’ve been trying to get a handle on this issue for over a month now. The first signs that this is becoming a larger issue came after the macOS Big Sur 11.2 update was made available. Reports started to roll in saying that the Big Sur Upgrade failed and the only way to fix it was to erase and reinstall macOS. I noticed an increase in traffic to this article. >
The macOS Big Sur 11.2 (20D64) update is now available for all users!
MacOS Big Sur 11.2 was released on February 1st, 2021. The 11.2 update is the 2nd major update for Big Sur. This release had 5 beta updates, which is a record for small point releases. The 11.2 update was released one week behind the iOS 14.4 update.
UPDATE: 02/02
This version is the same BuildVersion as 11.2 Beta RC3 = (20D64)
If you installed macOS Big Sur 11.2 RC 3 (20D64) you have the production version of macOS and you do not need to update.
Full installer released – 12.22GB
Waiting to see if CVE-2021-3156 sudo buffer overflow sudo privilege escalation affects the macOS version of sudo 1.8.31. (11.2 still includes sudo 1.8.31)
NOTE for the next version of Xcode – “Xcode 12.5 Beta requires a Mac running macOS Big Sur 11 or later.”
SoftRAID – macOS Big Sur 11.2 update does not allow the SoftRAID driver to load
Safari 14.0.3 was just released at 5:30 PM CST for Catalina and Mojave (it’s included in the 11.2 update)
macOS Big Sur 11.2 Patch Notes Summary
0 – New Features
5 – Resolved Issues
6 – Enterprise Changes
Click “Continue Reading” for the rest of the article.
Starting in early December, macOS Big Sur Internet Recovery was replaced by Catalina as the newest version available.
UPDATE 01/10/21: Apple has restored access to macOS Big Sur Recovery and it is now available to all compatible Intel Macs again!
Some of the first reports came from MacAdmins Slack members Calvin Cliff, Marcus Ransom and Eric Holtam. They confirmed that only Catalina Internet Recovery was available on Big Sur Compatible Macs. Any Mac that has Big Sur installed on it should be able to boot Big Sur Internet Recovery.
Note: This issue is only for Intel Macs. Apple Silicon M1 Macs do not have Internet Recovery.
Mr. Macintosh Video that goes over the Big Sur internet recovery issue.
How is the macOS internet recovery version determined?
It all depends on what model Mac you have and the keyboard command used.
From Apple
By default, macOS Recovery installs the latest macOS that was previously installed on your Mac.* You can get other macOS versions using one of these methods: On an Intel-based Mac, you can use Option-Command-R at startup to upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
Exceptions
If macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later was never previously installed, you will receive the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
If your Mac has the Apple T2 Security Chip and you never installed a macOS update, you will receive the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904
If you use Option-Command-R you should get the latest macOS version of Internet Recovery*
2013-2017 Mac = Big Sur 11.1
2018-2020 T2 Macs = Latest version of OS that is installed. (Example if Catalina 10.15.5 is installed, you will get 10.15.5 recovery) The version is based on the version of BridgeOS Installed.
Another example would be if you have a 2019 T2 Macbook Pro with Big Sur 11.0.1 installed. If you used Option-Command-R you should get 11.0.1 Big Sur Recovery.
Problem – All Macs are now getting Catalina Internet Recovery.
Why did Apple make this change? I didn’t report on this earlier because I figured it was a server side issue. Apple would probably fix it pretty quickly. The problem is it’s been almost a month now. Could this be a permanent change or is Big Sur Internet Recovery still having issues?
MacAdmins forum user gepeto42 had some information to share on this issue.
Apple is aware, they are telling me it is a server side issue that is being worked on right now. No ETA at all, on my side I will try when I get back from Holidays around Jan 4-5.
gepeto42
This sounds like Apple is aware and is working on fixing this issue. I will keep you updated as more info comes in.
Security Updates 2020-001 for Catalina & 2020-007 Mojave
Security Updates 2020-001 for macOS Catalina (19H114) & 2020-007 Mojave (18G7016) & Safari 14.0.2 are now Available.
Apple has released Security Updates 2020-001 (Catalina) and 2020-007 (Mojave). MacOS High Sierra is now officially unsupported by Apple. The 2020-006 Security Update was High Sierra’s final update. Mojave has taken its place as the 3rd supported version of macOS behind Catalina.
Since this security update is Catalina’s first it was named 2020-001. Mojave has had 7 Security Updates so the version is 2020-007. Next year they will both be named 2021-001.
Mr.Macintosh 2020-001, 2020-007 & Safari 14.0.2 Security Update video
Mojave however still does! The 2020-007 security update creates a snapshot and does NOT purge previous snapshots.
I really wish Apple could get this feature working again.
The Safari 14.0.1 upload issue is not fixed in 14.0.2.
A simple example of this is using Gmail in Safari. If you update to Safari 14.0.1 or 14.0.2 you will be unable to attach anything to an email The only work around right now is to use Chrome or Firefox.
New workaround = drag and drop the file into the window.
Install Process Fixed!
With the release of 2020-006, Apple has changed things up. In the past you could have the base version of Mojave, 18G103 for example and the latest security update would show as available and you could update right to it. With 2020-006 you will need to be on 2020-005 first before you can update to 2020-006! This is a huge pain if you have systems that are behind in build versions.
Example.
If you have a fresh build of macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G103) and you want to get to 2020-006.
1. Install Security Update 2020-005 first.
2. After installing 2020-005, you will now see 2020-006 available for instal in software update.
With the release of the new 2020-001 and 2020-007 Security Updates, Apple now lets you jump straight to the latest update.
Updated Fixed Example
If you have a fresh build of macOS Mojave 10.14.6 (18G103) and you want to get to 2020-007.
Install 2020-007 = Done
Testing the Security Update Install Process
After all the problems of the 2020-005 Security Update for Mojave caused, I wanted to again make sure everything was ok with 2020-001 & 2020-007. I’ve installed both the 2020-007 and Safari 14.0.2 updates and have not found any issues. You can safely install both of them together.
Click “Continue Reading” to read the rest of the article.
Today Apple released macOS Big Sur 11.1 (20C69) to the public.
MacOS Big Sur 11.1 was released on December 14th, 2020. The 11.1 update is the first major update for Big Sur. The release comes a few days after Big Sur 11.1 beta RC and is the same build number. Big Sur 11.1 also brings support for AirPods Max, Apple’s new over-ear headphones. New Features added to the following apps Apple TV, Apple News, App Store, iPhone Apps on M1 Macs, Photos and Safari.
UPDATE: 12/15 – 11:30AM
This version is the same BuildVersion as 11.1 Beta RC = (20C69)
softareupdate –fetch-full-installer is fixed! (Was broke in 11.0.1)
2013 & 2014 MacBook Pro 13″ Bricking issue looks to be fixed in 11.1! The BoardID for this model was added back to the full installer.
Today Apple released macOS Big Sur Beta 11.1 RC (20C69) to Developers
UPDATE 12/14/20 – macOS Big Sur 11.1 final is live! I just posted a new article that goes over all of the changes and new information that you need to know!
MacOS Big Sur 11.1 RC or Release Candidate was released on December 10th, 2020. We can expect the final version of 11.1 will be released very soon. The release comes one week after Big Sur 11.1 Beta 2. The Release Candidate brings support for AirPods Max, Apple’s new over-ear headphones. New features were also added to Apple TV, Apple News, App Store, iPhone Apps on M1 Macs, Photos and Safari.
Release date = Monday December 14th (Possible due to Fitness+ launching that day and requiring the latest versions)
Today Apple released macOS Big Sur Beta 11.1 Beta 2 (20C5061b) to Developers
MacOS Big Sur 11.1 Beta was released on December 3rd, 2020. The release comes about two weeks after Big Sur 11.1 Beta 1.
NOTE: The 2013-14 13″ MacBook Pro BoardID (Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC) is not in 11.1 Beta 2.This means that Apple could be still working on a fix for this issue. You can read more about it in the link below.
2020-006 Security Update for Mojave & High Sierra + Safari 14.0.1
Security Updates 2020-006 for macOS Mojave 10.14 (18G6042), High Sierra 10.13 (17G14042) & Safari 14.0.1 are now Available.
With the release of macOS Big Sur, Apple also released Security Updates for both macOS Mojave and High Sierra. Catalina was issued a 10.15.7 Supplemental Update to address the same security issues in 2020-006.
NOTE: Apologies for the tardiness of this article, Big Sur and Apple Silicon really took my attention away. I didn’t forget about everyone who asked me when my Security Update article would come out. I will always test the update out first so you don’t have to deal with issues.
You can read more about the 10.15.7 Supplemental update below.
Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B50) Released to block install for 2013-2014 13-inch MacBook Pro Users.
Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B50) was released to block 2013 & 2014 13″ MBPro’s from installing the OS. This move looks to be related to the Big Sur install problems with these models.
UPDATE 12/14/20 – Apple has added the Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC BoardID back to the newly released macOS Big Sur 11.1 Full installer! It looks like Apple has found and fixed the issue with the installer that was causing problems! This means that you can now download, install and reinstall Big Sur 11.1 on your 2013-14 13″ MacBook Pro again.
UPDATE 11/25/20 – If you attempt to install Big Sur on your 13″ 2013-2014 MBPro, you might get this error.
Installation of macOS could not continue. installation requires downloading important content. That content can’t be downloaded at this time. Try again later.
If you are wondering about the Big Sur Installer issue for the 2013 & 2014 13″ MacBook Pro users, I wrote about the situation earlier this week.
To review, if you have a 2013 or 2014 13″ MacBook Pro and attempted to install macOS Big Sur, it was possible that the installer could brick your Mac.
When I say “brick” I mean that it boots to a black screen and is 100% non responsive. You can’t boot to recovery, USB installers, reset the pram or SMC.
The only option for users is to bring it in for repair. The reports say that Apple is saying that the logic board needs to be replaced at a price over 500$. Even worse some are being told it’s a vintage product and they can’t parts. This is FALSE, Apple will keep stock of parts up to 7 years.
Vintage products are those that have not been sold for more than 5 and less than 7 years ago. Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Apple TV vintage products continue to receive hardware service from Apple service providers, including Apple Retail Stores, subject to availability of inventory, or as required by law.Apple.com – https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201624
Hopefully Apple will cover the cost of the repair for free.
The solution for now? Release a new macOS Big Sur Installer that removes both models from the Big Sur compatibility list.
The link below shows the list of Big Sur compatible Macs
If you can’t install macOS Big Sur on certain 13-inch MacBook Pro computers from 2013 and 2014. Follow these steps if you can’t install macOS Big Sur on a MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013) or MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014). When you install macOS Big Sur on these Mac models, the installer might say that the update cannot be installed on this computer, or your Mac might start up to a blank screen or circle with a line through it.
Apple.com
The most important part of this article is this line
“or your Mac might start up to a blank screen“
This is exactly what will happen to some users if they install macOS Big Sur on their 2013 or 2014 13″ MacBook Pro.
Let’s look at the other parts of the note.
“the installer might say that the update cannot be installed on this computer“
This is because both models have been removed from the new Big Sur installer compatibility list.
“or your Mac might start up to a blank screen or circle with a line through it“
This might happen if you make a new USB installer of Big Sur 11.0.1 (20B50) and attempt to boot to it.
Removed from the Big Sur Compatible List?
The macOS installer has a file inside called the distribution file. For this release it’s called 001-83532.English.dist.
Compatible Macs for install are listed in this file as BoardID for older devices and DeviceIDs for newer models. The boardID we are looking for is
Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC
This BoardID is for the MacBookPro11,1 or the 2013 & 2014 13″ MacBook Pro.
I keep a database of all Mac BoardID and DevicesIDs here
You can see the list of supportedBoardIDs – Mac-189A3D4F975D5FFC was removed from 11.0.1 (20B50)
This means that (for now anyway) you will not be able to install macOS Big Sur on your 2013 or 2014 13″ MacBook Pro.
Will Apple fix this issue and add them back later?
Unknown at this time. It’s possible that Apple will fix issue the Big Sur installer is causing to these models. They could then add the models back to the compatibility list later.
