Security and open source
[ret]2read
Everything I write, build, and present about macOS internals, reverse engineering, and open source security. New research lands here first, once a month.
![Olivia Gallucci and Sasha at an event. Used on [ret]2read page, Apple security research.](https://i0.wp.com/oliviagallucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/olivia-and-sasha-2025.webp?resize=4032%2C3024&ssl=1)
![Olivia Gallucci and Fabian at Fun OCaml. Used on [ret]2read page, Apple security research.](https://i0.wp.com/oliviagallucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/olivia-and-fabian-fun-ocaml-edited.webp?resize=2244%2C2244&ssl=1)
![Olivia Gallucci and Mike Privette at BSides London 2024. Used on [ret]2read page, Apple security research.](https://i0.wp.com/oliviagallucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/bsides-london-edited.webp?resize=2316%2C2316&ssl=1)
Start Here
New to my work? Pick a path and read in order.
Path one
How a Mac boots, securely
Three posts that follow the chain of trust from power-on to macOS.
- Boot ROM Security on Silicon Macs (M1/M2/M3)
- Low-Level Bootloader (LLB) Security on macOS
- iBoot stage (main bootloader) security on macOS
Path two
Reading and reversing macOS
From Apple’s open source code to what is really inside a binary.
Path three
Exploitation and its defenses
How attacks work across operating systems and what stops them.
- How OS affects binary exploitation
- How to use ROP to bypass security mechanisms
- ASLR, bypass techniques, and circumvention impacts
- Control Flow Integrity (CFI): User vs Kernel Land
- CFI with Clang, macOS, and Clang on macOS
Path four
Evasion and detection
For detection engineers and the people trying to get past them.
Path five
Open source security
Why free software matters to security and how its communities work.
- Navigating the Open Source Security Community
- Open Source Security Economics and Ethics
- Open Source Malware Tactics and Developmental Trends
![Olivia Gallucci and Keith Hoodlet at DEF CON 2025. Used on [ret]2read page, Apple security research.](https://i0.wp.com/oliviagallucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/defcon-2025-edited.webp?resize=1536%2C1536&ssl=1)
![Olivia Gallucci and Richard Stallman at LibrePlanet. Used on [ret]2read page, Apple security research.](https://i0.wp.com/oliviagallucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/olivia-gallucci-and-richard-stallman-edited.webp?resize=3519%2C3519&ssl=1)
![Olivia Gallucci taking a selfie with Fabian Fassler (LiveOverflow) and Clint Gibler at a security conference. Used on [ret]2read page, Apple security research.](https://i0.wp.com/oliviagallucci.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/oliviagallucci-tldrsec-liveoverflow-edited.webp?resize=3024%2C3024&ssl=1)
Browse by Topic
macOS · reversing · boot · code-signing · mach-o · Hacking · Malware · Linux · Assembly · Research · Open Source · Free and Open Source Software · Software Development · Algorithms · Artificial Intelligence
Posts
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On Stage
- Black Hat USA: When Queues Become Vulnerabilities: Reverse Engineering GCD, XPC Races, and macOS Detection Engineering
- DEF CON Singapore: macOS Vulnerability Research: Augmenting Apple’s Source Code and OS Logs with AI Agents
- Objective by the Sea: macOS Internals for Threat Detection Engineers: Logs, ESF, and Automation Utility Risks
Tools and Code
OSS-Sensor →
A local platform that turns Apple’s partial open source, binaries, and unified logs into a prioritized vulnerability research queue.
GitHub →
Everything else I’ve published.
Security and open source
[ret]2read
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