Still Another Security Vulnerability in OS X

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

Apple must really feel picked on right about now. The 3rd security flaw in six days was discovered on Tuesday. This one targets the Safari browser, and depending on who you ask, may be very critical.

The vulnerability, discovered by Michael Lehn of the University of Ulm in southern Germany, affects Apple’s Safari web browser. Current versions of the program include a feature that automatically opens so-called “safe” files—photos, movies, and compressed data, which can be exploited by those with malicious intentions.

Software disguised to look like these safe files could cause a serious problem for unsuspecting Safari users. Those who download such files from a web site or even an email could have them automatically opened by the program, leaving their computer open to attack.

Danish security company Secunia, one of the first firms to announce the discovery, describes the flaw as “extremely critical.” The company has set up a web page where Safari users can get more information and test their software to see if it is affected. Source: Red Herring

We Say: To protect yourself, you can go into Safari preferences and disable the “Open safe files after downloading” option. Some say this is a wake-up call, but others, such as this Wired News writer, say they will still not run an antivirus program on their Macs. They say the MacOS is inherently more secure, and that this is all a tempest in a teacup. I guess we’ll wait and see.