Apple extends Mac App Store sandboxing restriction deadline to June 1
The original deadline was March 1, but developers now have an additional three months to bring their software in line with the new rules. The sandboxing entitlements are already found in OS X 10.7.3 Lion and new APIs in Xcode 4.3.
Sandboxing of applications is Apple's initiative to make the Mac platform even more secure by restricting what applications can do within the operating system. This helps to prevent problems like malware taking over third-party applications and utilizing them to do something malicious.
The sandboxing strategy has been met with opposition from some developers who feel restricted by the changes and have even discovered flaws with the system. Last November, a security firm discovered vulnerabilities with the application sandboxing feature.
Apple initially intended to have all applications on the Mac App Store sandboxed when the service first launched in early 2011. But the company opted to give developers a reprieve until last November, and then again pushed the deadline back to March 1. The latest deadline of June 1 marks the third delay for Apple.
Sandboxing will play an even more important role later this year with the launch of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion and the new Gatekeeper feature. With Gatekeeper, users will have the option of restricting a Mac to only install Apple-authorized software from the Mac App Store, effectively requiring that all software on a Mac comply with Apple's sandboxing rules.
Beyond the Mac App Store restriction, users will also be able to expand third-party software to allow applications from identified developers, if they so choose. Developers will be tracked by Apple with a secret key, and that key will be revoked for developers who are found to violate Apple's terms.
Finally, Mountain Lion users will also be able to allow applications on their system that are downloaded from anywhere, regardless of whether they are considered "identified developers" by Apple.
16 Comments
This is basically the beginning of Apple locking down the rest of their systems. Microsoft is doing the same thing with Metro and Windows 8. It will increase security and reduce piracy. Basically a WIN as far as I'm concerned.
This is basically the beginning of Apple locking down the rest of their systems. Microsoft is doing the same thing with Metro and Windows 8. It will increase security and reduce piracy. Basically a WIN as far as I'm concerned.
Are you suggesting that they will soon not allow you to install apps outside of the Mac App Store? I think the new option to sign apps that aren't in the App Store is a sign that they are not going to do that.
I do agree this is a good thing. We're all up in arms that an app can read our iPhone's address book and copy its contents to a server without any safeguards but what about apps on the Mac? I have a lot more personal info on my Mac than I do on my iPhone and have no idea what information was data mined.
Really?! An app of mine got rejected for not being sandboxed last week. A temporary reprieve! Nice.
Since they've delayed it so long, perhaps they could get rid of the temporary entitlements that give full access.
This is basically the beginning of Apple locking down the rest of their systems. Microsoft is doing the same thing with Metro and Windows 8. It will increase security and reduce piracy. Basically a WIN as far as I'm concerned.
I don't think Apple having the ability to grant permission for all applications is a good thing. It's going to be a nightmare for developers, an annoyance for users. It's 2012. How often do you really worry about security and what programs are legit? It wont help fight piracy unless they locked down everything, which they are not going to do. It's not so much about 'increasing security and reducing piracy' as it is them trying to push their App Store distribution channel. It's one thing to do this on phones, but I don't think it's their place at all to start overseeing and allowing every program written for OSX.