Patrick Wardle is known for being a Mac malware specialist, but his coding work has traveled far and wide without his permission.
A former employee of the NSA and NASA, he is also the founder of the Objective-See Foundation: a nonprofit that creates open-source security tools for macOS. The latter role means that a lot of Wardle’s software code is now freely available to download and decompile — and some of this code has apparently caught the eye of technology companies that are using it without his permission.
Wardle will lay out his case in a presentation on Thursday at the Black Hat cybersecurity conference with Tom McGuire, a cybersecurity researcher at Johns Hopkins University. The researchers found that code written by Wardle and released as open source has made its way into a number of commercial products over the years — all without the users crediting him or licensing and paying for the work.
The problem, Wardle says, is that it’s difficult to prove that the code was stolen rather than implemented in a similar way by coincidence. Fortunately, because of Wardle’s skill in reverse-engineering software, he was able to make more progress than most.
“I was only able to figure [the code theft] out because I both write tools and reverse engineer software, which is not super common,” Wardle told The Verge in a call before the talk. “Because I straddle both of these disciplines I could find it happening to my tools, but other indie developers might not be able to, which is the concern.”
MacDailyNews Take: A far too common occurrence.
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lol, you put something on the internet… doesn’t matter how “smart” you allegedly are, it seems people still don’t understand the burden of proof necessary with digital content. even the expert creator can’t prove their work was stolen. Capitalists are so attached to their hubris it’s pathetic.
Sounds like Anthony has his Fernandez up Mrs Communism’s skirt.
Theft is evil, but theft is also Mr and Mrs Communism’s stock-in-trade, and then son Facismo and their daughter Socialista also know all about it.
Glad Patrick is able to expose the theft.
Best reply post I have read on this site for MONTHS!
Thank you, @Darkes Charwin” (that’s funny, too!)
😆👏👍
Sorry, I meant to type “Darles Charwin”.
Well I’m glad one of my zingers finally came good. Normally I’m rousing at how moronic AppleCynic and AppleBS are, so consumed with h888tred over Apple that they use Apple products and moaningly complain regularly about Apple products on an Apple news site.
I mean I guess that’s a good place to complain, but If you so dislike Apple, why have anything to do with?
Anyway, Applecynic is Fascismo and Apple BS is Socialista – no wonder they’re having such a hard time in life.
They should be hunters, biding their time to escape the country before the feds come in and do an FBI Trump search on him…
That time will probably be sometime before Jan 20, 2024.
How nice you amuse yourself in your little bubble, firstfuck.
Hey Fake GOEB, I have nothing to do with First Then. Your obsession with hating him is sad to see, but I guess you need a break from fellating Hunter every now and then, you come up for air to ejaculate your obscenities here.
Anyway keep up the bad work, Fascismo. And please stop sniffing around Socialista, she’s your actual sister, not a step-sister like in all those sordid videos you watch.
Kewl.
Like they taught us at the U. of A(theism)-
“The family that preys together, raze together”
It’s time for the US Govt and FBI to take AppleCynic out with extreme prejudice. Insert Patrick’s code right up his wrecked tum.
The resulting explosion in your head would destroy your brain, but don’t worry, no one will be able to tell.
I hacked into AppleCynic’s computer using the Zoom installer. Turns out he’s really boring. And getting old.
Ask Darwin what your chances are.
The survival of the fittest. You’re marked for evolutionary termination. Enjoy your life while you can, you’re so old there’s not much time for your ha888te left.
Sure would like to see the comments remain on topic, and we all dispense with the vitriol. It’s nicer that way. No one is going to change anyone’s mind. So why all the hate?