Executive Summary

The article examines network traffic generated by macOS 27 (Golden Gate) during its initial boot before any user logs in. It lists key services and connections observed, highlighting default outbound connections to Apple servers, telemetry, and other background processes. The post serves as a baseline for security analysts to detect anomalous traffic during system startup.

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Intelligence Metadata - Source Publisher: SANS Internet Storm Center - Published Date: 2026-09-15T15:23:45+00:00 - Category: threat-intel

Original Description: I have not done this type of diary in a while: What traffic will you see from a system on boot, before a user logs in? I just took a quick look at macOS 27 "Golden Gate" to see what traffic you should expect. Here are some of the highlights:

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