Critical Mac OS X flaws see rapid growth
updated 05:20 pm EDT, Mon May 1, 2006
SANS: OS X flaws growing
The SANS Institute today announced updates to the Top 20 Internet Security Vulnerabilities, listing rapid growth in critical vulnerabilities being discovered in Mac OS X, including a zero-day vulnerability. The update notes, however, that Mac OS X still remains safer than Windows. The Mac's reputation as a "bullet-proof alternative" to Windows is "in tatters," according to the SANS Institute. "As attackers are increasingly turning their attention to the platform, OS X vulnerabilities are being discovered at a rapid pace, which could erode this safety in the future." A security professional recently revealed several security vulnerabilities in various Mac OS X applications, reporting them to Apple's product security team. As yet those vulnerabilities remain unpatched, supporting critics of Apple's security policy who claim the company is slow to react to threats.
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"A security professional recently revealed several security vulnerabilities in various Mac OS X applications..."
How about the OS? Safari isn't the OS and as yet there haven't been any flaws in it that are actually critical, just things that exploit stupidity on the part of a user. Mail isn't the OS. iPhoto or iTunes aren't the OS. When these companies say that OS X has gobs of security flaws and then start demonstrating applications, they loose credibility, not Apple. It's like the boy crying wolf. And one day someone is going to report a critical flaw that is actually in OSX and most people won't listen.