Concern over enrolment into MDM

[Guest Guest]

Hi everyone.

 

I recently purchased a Mac Mini for use as a media server. I bought it online (via eBay); sold through a longstanding and reputable company.

 

I attempted to re-install macOS Earlier on today (after replacing the SSD); and when entering into the OOBE for macOS, it attempted to enroll itself into an MDM. The organisation it was tied to was a very large, well known British Newspaper.

 

After speaking with their IT Team (out of hours), they removed the Mac from their profile manager (Jamf) and have told me to re-install the OS. However, it did pull down all of their configuration profiles, user accounts and 802.1x settings etc onto the SSD.

 

If the profile was correctly removed from their end and I re-install the OS, is that it (i.e end of)? Is there anything else I should do (i.e buy a new SSD etc)? Should I also just return the machine in favour of something else?

 

It's the first time I've seen anything like this happen.

[Guest Guest]

They'd have to release the device from Apple Business Manager otherwise whenever you attempt to setup it'll be automatically readded to their MDM

[Guest Guest]

They'd have to release the device from Apple Business Manager otherwise whenever you attempt to setup it'll be automatically readded to their MDM

Just got off the phone with their out of hours team. You're indeed correct that even after re-installing that it's prompting to still require enrolment into the MDM.

 

I've been told to leave it with them & someone will be in-touch with me over the next day or two.

 

Here's another question to everyone: Because of the enrolment into the MDM (and the fact that I purchased it online etc), would I likely to be eligible to return the item to the business under consumer law as the item is (currently) not fit-for-purpose?

 

If any of you were in my situation, what would you do moving forward in-relation to the Mac? It's been over 30-days since I bought it through eBay. I'd be at the direction of the business & the terms bound within consumer law as to what my rights are.

[Brimstone]

I think you have a case to return the unit as it should have been released from the companies ABM before then being traded on eBay, are you sure this Mac Mini is not stolen from them?

 

Having said that it's very easy to release a device from ABM anyway and takes about 4 clicks to be done.

[Roberto]

I think you have a case to return the unit as it should have been released from the companies ABM before then being traded on eBay, are you sure this Mac Mini is not stolen from them?

 

The last bit was my first thought. This smacks of stolen gear. Though it could be returned as faulty, and improperly refurbished.

[Guest Guest]

I think you have a case to return the unit as it should have been released from the companies ABM before then being traded on eBay, are you sure this Mac Mini is not stolen from them?

 

Having said that it's very easy to release a device from ABM anyway and takes about 4 clicks to be done.

I agree it's either a case of poor management or something more nefarious going on.

 

Ultimately, I've managed to create a request through eBay to return the Mac. I won't disclose who I bought it from as they're an actively trading business with many years' of positive feedback on eBay. I remain hopeful that this is just something that's slipped though the net on someone's part.

 

I have given the newspaper my E-Mail and Telephone number (hopefully won't come back negatively on me!). It'll be interesting to see how things pan out as allegedly a manager from their IT Department will get in contact with me over the coming days.

 

Interestingly, as I used the original macOS install for a good month or so before re-installing - is there a likelihood that I could have been 'spied' on depending on what exactly the Jamf profile contains? I didn't see anything in 'Profiles' in System Preferences; but is this something that could be going on in the background? When I received the Mac, it was just the default macOS OOBE w/ no reference to profiles etc. I take it that enrolment is something that's 'baked in' against the serial number or something?

 

If anyone's curious - I'll update this thread if I hear anything else interesting.

[psydii]

Modern macs phone home during the OOBE (to use MS parlance) to determine whether they should be enrolling in an MDM. This was previously called DEP https://simplemdm.com/blog/definitive-guide-to-the-apple-device-enrollment-program-apple-dep/ presents a reasonable precis of how this works.

 

It is possible that your mac might not have been enrolled in DEP out of the box, and the original owners only enrolled it after it had their removable profile installed. The refurb company would have been able to re-image it in a clean environment (with out internet) and shipped you a clean machine (because it never had a chance to phone home and learn it was in fact in the DEP now)... but then you reset it without taking precautions to prevent it from phoning apple, and boom, it learns its a DEP member and joins the original owners MDM in a immutable (for you) way.

 

So, in short, if there was no management profile present when you first got it, then it is very unlikely the original owners had any control over it until you reset it.

[FN-GM]

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The last bit was my first thought. This smacks of stolen gear.

 

This was my first thought. But they why wouldn’t the old owners be cooperating?

[Roberto]

This was my first thought. But they why wouldn’t the old owners be cooperating?

 

Our service desk says all kinds of things to keep the conversation going to the regular callers we get like this, to see if we can get our kit back, or a clue as to how it got there.

[Guest Guest]

Just as an update: The newspaper got back in touch and it wasn't stolen kit. It was (as others here have already pointed out) that the device wasn't fully removed from their system(s) before selling on.

 

They did manage to find the asset documents relating to the Mac & can tell that it was officially sold on. They also confirmed it was the same company that I bought the Mac from.

 

Smacks of (somewhat) sh1**y IT Practice from the newspaper; but then again things like this can happen to all of us!

 

Thanks everyone for your help!