macOS: Apple software will respect firewalls

With the release of version 11.2 beta 2 of the macOS operating system, the bitten apple seems to have got rid of the much contested ContentFilterExclusionList feature. What is it about? It is in fact a list of 53 applications developed by Apple itself (App Store, Maps, iCloud and so on) that can bypass third party firewalls as well as other security tools, affecting among other things the functioning of VPNs. br>

macOS and firewall: via ContentFilterExclusionList

It was introduced in recent months with the arrival of Big Sur, located in the internal memory. It was immediately indicated by researchers as a potential source of huge security problems as a malware could disguise itself as one of the software in question to act invisibly without being detected.

On the nature of the list, yes some Apple engineers were pronounced, referring to ZDNet that it was a sort of temporary workaround introduced to remedy a series of bugs that emerged in system applications, related to the desire to deprecate the Network Kernel Extension in the new version of macOS. favor of the Network Extension Framework. In short, Cupertino did not have time to correct the individual software before the launch of Big Sur, choosing to adopt a temporary remedy while waiting for the fixes.

The fixes now appear to have been released for all the apps in question and best regards to ContentFilterExclusionList. The change will affect all Macs in circulation as soon as Big Sur 11.2 releases its beta label and reaches its final form.

Source: Patreon