Restoring EFI

Question

Restoring EFI

Hello everyone,

I'd like to ask here if there is any way in case of EFI failure (any kind of failure) or infection (EFI based malware) to restore a Mac to a "working" status (pretty much like a factory reset), like backup actual EFI and reflash in case of bad functioning or so.

My main concern is that since there is no access to EFI (not officially) i wouldn't be able to check if my mac is "healty", any way to make it a lil more secure?

Thanks in advance for any reply.

ps: erm, I'm not anglophone so sorry if i made some grammar/syntax hOrrors
ps2: i know there are no EFI infections in the wild (and old BIOS ones are just researches) but it's best to know before something happens.

Mac OS X (10.6.6)

Posted on Jan 9, 2011 11:48 PM

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Answer 1

captfred

Level 7

26,422 points

Jan 10, 2011 8:47 AM in response to Community User

Yes, you can make a Firmware Restoration CD. Note that you must select the version that matches your Mac.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1320

Regards,
Captfred

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Answer 2

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Jan 10, 2011 10:26 AM in response to Community User

Please note that the Firmware Restoration disk will work only in the case of a failed firmware update. If you or someone deliberately hacks the EFI, the Firmware Restoration disk will not help you.

You can make things a bit more secure by using a Firmware Password. See:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352

If your system isn't in a place where others can easily get physical access, though, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

Regards.

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Answer 3

Jan 14, 2011 3:21 AM in response to varjak paw

well first of all thank you for your replies, and sorry for my late one.

"You can make things a bit more secure by using a Firmware Password. See:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1352

If your system isn't in a place where others can easily get physical access, though, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

Regards."

sadly, firmware password can't be set (i had an argument with my dvd player and i'm waiting for a new one), but would it protect it only physically or lets say also prevent updates (regular ones to efi) ?

about the physical access, noone has except me but since as far as i know EFI is written mainly in C it would take no effort once someone gained root privilege (well im pretty protected but also very paranoid) to be nasty with me, and since EFI isn't just a BIOS that changes at all from pc to pc it wouldn't be that hard work so it would be a really good thing if i could find some sort of additional protection for it. Although it may be a lil more robust it's not a panacea, so I'd really like some advice.

Thanks in advance.

Message was edited by: Idknameme

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