Airport Base Station & Time Capsule Update

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FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#250931 1-Jun-2019 10:46

Morning folks. There is an "Airport Base Station & Time Capsule” update available.

Apple today released AirPort Base Station Firmware Update 7.9.1 firmware update to close a handful of security holes related to remote hacks, memory leaks and user data deletion and is recommended for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac.

Among the resolved security issues is a bug that allowed a remote attacker to leak memory through an errant out-of-bounds read capability.

Three denial of service issues were addressed in the patch, two of which could be triggered remotely through faulty code. The third involved a similar denial of service attack carried out by a bad actor in a privileged position. The problems were resolved through improved input validation and memory handling.

A null pointer dereference and a "use after free" issue were cited in a remote attack that could enabled a hacker to run code on a targeted device, while a separate issue allowed source-routed IPv4 packets to be unexpectedly accepted.

Finally, the update addresses an issue that left some some user information on a base station after performing a factory reset.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it…. Is to update this device:

Ensure that Time Machine is not backing up, if it is, wait till it finishes
GoTo: Applications > Utilities and fire up your Airport Utility app
Left click on the AirPort Time Capsule
Left click on the Update button to the right of the version number
A warning message may pop up saying; “Server is shutting down” just click the OK button
Following the instructions and let it do its thing
When the update is finished and the AirPort Time Capsule has restarted, a green dot will appear
Quit Airport Utility
All good to go again

As always, should you or any of your devices fail to work or explode, I will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This post may self-destruct. Good luck Cheers 🍷

EDIT: added more update detail

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

DjShadow

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#2249489 1-Jun-2019 10:52

Can you advise if the option to add VLAN tagging to the WAN port has shown up?

FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2249497 1-Jun-2019 10:59

Just thought I would add that it is disappointing that Apple has gotten out of this area of hardware. I have always used their Airport Time Capsules and Airport Express. They all just seem to work and do the job they were designed for. I'm sure they could have updated and released new hardware in this area to taken into account today's meshnet protocols and again made it "just work".

Plus of course incorporated their "Home Pod" hardware.

Sad really.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

FineWine

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#2249502 1-Jun-2019 11:06

DjShadow:

Can you advise if the option to add VLAN tagging to the WAN port has shown up?

I believe the short answer is NO as they are singularly designed for the simple home network. It just does not have the basic VLAN capabilities. I think.

Google might be your friend here.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

sir1963

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#2253595 7-Jun-2019 09:48

FineWine:

Just thought I would add that it is disappointing that Apple has gotten out of this area of hardware. I have always used their Airport Time Capsules and Airport Express. They all just seem to work and do the job they were designed for. I'm sure they could have updated and released new hardware in this area to taken into account today's meshnet protocols and again made it "just work".

Plus of course incorporated their "Home Pod" hardware.

Sad really.

The probably have 90% or more of the hardware and software required in the Apple TV.

They have the case, the power supply, the processor, the networking, just remove the video (or even better keep it so it can be used as part of a mesh while STILL being the ATV)

FineWine

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#2253671 7-Jun-2019 11:41

sir1963:

FineWine:

Just thought I would add that it is disappointing that Apple has gotten out of this area of hardware. I have always used their Airport Time Capsules and Airport Express. They all just seem to work and do the job they were designed for. I'm sure they could have updated and released new hardware in this area to taken into account today's meshnet protocols and again made it "just work".

Plus of course incorporated their "Home Pod" hardware.

Sad really.

The probably have 90% or more of the hardware and software required in the Apple TV.

They have the case, the power supply, the processor, the networking, just remove the video (or even better keep it so it can be used as part of a mesh while STILL being the ATV)

Agree - ATV & HomePod are the two items that; can, could or would be used around the home in a networked configuration.

Since updating from an old dumb Sony CRT 32" WECCA tv to a Panasonic LCD TV in 2014 and then only to discover that software updates stopped two years later, I am of the strong belief that TV manufactures should just concentrate on bringing out good dumb monitors that good Smart TV receivers/boxes and HT setups, of your choice, can be attached to. ATV, Freeview Box, Kodi, etc. Why, because mostly these boxes have regular and long term software updates.

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.

sir1963

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#2253719 7-Jun-2019 12:35

FineWine:

sir1963:

FineWine:

Just thought I would add that it is disappointing that Apple has gotten out of this area of hardware. I have always used their Airport Time Capsules and Airport Express. They all just seem to work and do the job they were designed for. I'm sure they could have updated and released new hardware in this area to taken into account today's meshnet protocols and again made it "just work".

Plus of course incorporated their "Home Pod" hardware.

Sad really.

The probably have 90% or more of the hardware and software required in the Apple TV.

They have the case, the power supply, the processor, the networking, just remove the video (or even better keep it so it can be used as part of a mesh while STILL being the ATV)

Agree - ATV & HomePod are the two items that; can, could or would be used around the home in a networked configuration.

Since updating from an old dumb Sony CRT 32" WECCA tv to a Panasonic LCD TV in 2014 and then only to discover that software updates stopped two years later, I am of the strong belief that TV manufactures should just concentrate on bringing out good dumb monitors that good Smart TV receivers/boxes and HT setups, of your choice, can be attached to. ATV, Freeview Box, Kodi, etc. Why, because mostly these boxes have regular and long term software updates.

Yeah, last TV I bought I had to argue with the sale droid.

He insisted that 3D was a thing, as was Smart TV. And since then we of course have had curved TVs, 4K and soon 8K.

Just give me another dumb full HD tv and that's all I need and want, the rest is just lip stick on a pig.

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FineWine

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Nurse (R)

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#2261813 21-Jun-2019 09:54

Morning everyone. Today Apple released another security update to its legacy range of AirPort Network Stations, this time for its 802.11n range: Apple releases firmware security update for discontinued AirPort Express, Extreme, and Time Capsule Base Stations

In my case it is my venerable 'AirPort Express' which I bought in Aussie years ago when living in a unit with all double brick walls. I still use it so I can play my iMac iTunes library through my antique Sony Home Theatre system.

He is the 'How-To' document on updating.

As always, should you or any of your devices fail to work or they explode, I will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This post may self-destruct. Good luck.

Cheers 🍷

Whilst the difficult we can do immediately, the impossible takes a bit longer. However, miracles you will have to wait for.