
Apple has finally issued a patch for a security flaw related to Java that was first reported in August 2008. Java for Mac OS X update “delivers improved reliability, security, and compatibility for Java” in both 10.5 and 10.4.
The update also addresses a critical vulnerability in which a malware applet might gain access to the user’s system, deleting files or running other evil code. Worse, because Java is cross-platform, users visiting any tainted web site could infect their computer via the web browser.
The flaw was first reported to Sun last August, and the company issued a patch in December. In May, former Apple engineer and security researcher Landon Fuller created a proof-of-concept exploit. Bad press from that may have spurred Apple to finally address the issue.
While OS X is still arguably safer than Windows, safety and security are not necessarily the same thing. A more aggressive attitude towards security by Apple now might help protect Mac users in the future.
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