macOS 11.01 not updating to 11.2
- Thread starter ZBoater
- Start date
Macintosh Rescue
Member
I have my main internet accessible server running in Parallels Desktop running macOS 11.2 as I used the App Store installer for that version.
There is a serious security fault with sudo that can escalate an unprivileged user to superuser (root) access and that is fixed in the macOS 11.2.1 update.
There is no way for me to update my internet accessible virtual server since the App Store Installer contains version 11.2 with the vulnerability, and I cannot get the 11.2.1 update in the virtual machine.
This is SERIOUS!
Don't know if it's a Parallels issue or an Apple one.
There is a serious security fault with sudo that can escalate an unprivileged user to superuser (root) access and that is fixed in the macOS 11.2.1 update.
There is no way for me to update my internet accessible virtual server since the App Store Installer contains version 11.2 with the vulnerability, and I cannot get the 11.2.1 update in the virtual machine.
This is SERIOUS!
Don't know if it's a Parallels issue or an Apple one.
Go to your VM and open up the App Store. Search for Big Sur. 11.2.1 should be available, and you can try to download it that way.
Macintosh Rescue
Member
Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately at this time of typing the App Store macOS Big Sur installer is still version 11.2 from a week ago which means it still has the sudo vulnerability. It does look like there will likely be a 11.2.1 release at some point.
You'd think after Apple's endorsement of Big Sur as a VM guest would mean that they'd make it easier for us to update, but interestingly I think their update server is treating our VMs as Hackintosh; Hakintosh users are reporting the same issue.
I have not been able to upgrade any version of BigSur as Guest OS using the control panel or by downloading the update from the App Store inside. My Guest OS is BigSur 10.2 and it is not seeing the 10.2.1 update even though my host has already been updated to it. This is likely a problem with Parallels as others have pointed out. I am running Parallels Desktop 16.1.3.
juls
juls
I also have a Guest OS VM created from the Recovery Partition of my Host Mac - and the Guest OS won't recognize Apple Updates.
2018 MacBook Pro, erased and clean installed macOS Big Sur 11.2 (host OS) last weekend.
I then installed Parallels 16 and created a Guest OS of Big Sur 11.2 from within Parallels using the Recovery Partition.
Yesterday I updated my host OS to 11.2.1, and then went to update the Guest OS VM as well.
However, in the Guest OS, it says "Your Mac is up to date - macOS Big Sur 11.2" (the version it was created with).
I have the Guest OS "isolated" from the Host OS, even using Bridged Network, but I wonder if somehow the Host OS being up to date affects updating the Guest OS...? Next time I will try to update the Guest OS before the Host OS to see if it makes any difference.
Another quirk is that the Wifi menubar indicator is constantly searching for a network, even though Wifi is OFF on the Host OS, and I'm using ethernet.
2018 MacBook Pro, erased and clean installed macOS Big Sur 11.2 (host OS) last weekend.
I then installed Parallels 16 and created a Guest OS of Big Sur 11.2 from within Parallels using the Recovery Partition.
Yesterday I updated my host OS to 11.2.1, and then went to update the Guest OS VM as well.
However, in the Guest OS, it says "Your Mac is up to date - macOS Big Sur 11.2" (the version it was created with).
I have the Guest OS "isolated" from the Host OS, even using Bridged Network, but I wonder if somehow the Host OS being up to date affects updating the Guest OS...? Next time I will try to update the Guest OS before the Host OS to see if it makes any difference.
Another quirk is that the Wifi menubar indicator is constantly searching for a network, even though Wifi is OFF on the Host OS, and I'm using ethernet.
I can't seem to edit my own post on this forum, but wanted to add a question - I noticed that "About this Mac" shows most of the same info as the host machine, including the serial number of the Host machine. Is it possible the reason macOS Big Sur can't see Apple Software Updates from the Guest OS VM, has something to do with the random MAC address Parallels creates for the VM, and/or it not matching the real MAC address associated with the computer's serial number in Apple's backend database? Somehow MAC address and serial number affecting ability to do updates?
Macintosh Rescue
Member
I'm pretty convinced that this is to do with Apple checking serial numbers or other hardware identifying mechanisms. At the last WWDC Apple were keen to show off new virtualisation support for macOS guests which means that this policy is completely out of order, as is not offering manual update packages.
I recommend submitting feedback to Apple via https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html and request that Parallels staff also put some pressure on to Apple regarding this.
I recommend submitting feedback to Apple via https://www.apple.com/feedback/macos.html and request that Parallels staff also put some pressure on to Apple regarding this.
Macintosh Rescue
Member
Thanks for sharing your fix. Unfortunately it made no difference in my case. I tried the GUI and softwareupdate -l command and they both report the system as being "up to date".
Maybe it could work for some systems though.
Maybe it could work for some systems though.
Sven G
Hunter
You could also try with more complete details, in the aforementioned advanced settings:
devices.mac_hw_model="YourMac'sModel"
devices.smbios.board_id="YourMac'sBoardID"
... where YourMac'sModel is the result of sysctl hw.model and YourMac'sBoardID is the result of ioreg -l | grep board-id commands in the host's Terminal, respectively. Not sure if the first line is needed: maybe the second could be sufficient (as before, but more detailed)...
devices.mac_hw_model="YourMac'sModel"
devices.smbios.board_id="YourMac'sBoardID"
... where YourMac'sModel is the result of sysctl hw.model and YourMac'sBoardID is the result of ioreg -l | grep board-id commands in the host's Terminal, respectively. Not sure if the first line is needed: maybe the second could be sufficient (as before, but more detailed)...
Was at 11.2 (having gotten to that from earlier 11.x release via re-install (preserves data) from recovery partition), and didn't want to go through that again when the updates weren't available via multiple mechanisms. Tried your solution, and saw the updates, which worked using Software Update. (very slow afterward for awhile, due to Spotlight dealing with all the replaced content; but that happens even on bare metal, although the VM scenario makes it slower still)
This was on a 2019 16" MBP host with 10.15.7 (Catalina) plus the supplementary update, and Parallels 16.1.3.
I moved my Big Sur VMs to VMware Fusion (11.5.7) and have had no problems with them since. PD16 has been a pain with Big Sur despite its touted support, whereas Fusion is nor even the current version and yet it works and never had an issue with screen resolution or finding updates. Just updated to Big Sur 11.2.1 with no issues.
Macintosh Rescue
Member
That seemed promising but sadly did not work. I checked with the guest's System Profiler and with those lines added in the boot settings the guest identified itself correctly, but still didn't update. Interestingly my Mac mini Server 2012 also runs Catalina and my hopes were to run the virtual Big Sur with macOS Server and possible the next macOS release to get more use out of the hardware. The Big Sur virtual machine performs well on the older Mac but sadly will not update.
I also have the update issue on the server test client which is hosted on a 2019 iMac running Big Sur 11.2.1, but the virtual machine is stuck at 11.1, so I don't think that running the guest on an older mac is the problem.
There's now a post suggesting that VmWare Fusion Big Sur guests can update so this is starting to look a bit more like a Parallels problem rather than an Apple one. I remember having difficulties updating older macOS virtual machines with Parallels Desktop 16, although the issues were that updates would fail rather than be completely unavailable. I had do do lots of switching between bridged and shared networking to get those updates to complete.
Agree with oztrev: Parallels Desktop 16 and Big Sur has been a pain.
Macintosh Rescue
Member
I did some trial and error on this first trying to simulate a Macmini8,1 but that made no difference. I have now got it updating though and it seems that your second line of boot arguments is the essential part. I have entered my iMac's board ID and even though the guest still identifies as a "Mac mini Server (Late 2012)" it the "About This Mac" it is downloading Big Sur 11.2.1 as I type. System Profiler now shows that the Mac mini's guest is an iMac so the guest is having an identity crisis. It's updating which is all that matters and hopefully it will be able to stay up to date.
Many thanks for your help.