A swarm of Safari security holes: Mac and Windows users told to update

Safari
Whether you own a Windows or Mac OS X computer, if you’re a user of Apple’s Safari browser, it’s time to update your computer against a swarm of security vulnerabilities.

With the attention of most Apple devotees diverted this week towards the sleek new iPhone 4, some may have missed that the Cupertino-based company has also issued a brand new version of its web browser, Safari.

Most interestingly to us, however, is the news that Safari 5.0 not only includes new functionality, but also plugs at least 48 different security vulnerabilities that (if left unpatched) could be exploited by hackers.

Mac OS X version 10.4 users (which Safari 5 doesn’t support) aren’t left in the lurch either. Apple has issued Safari version 4.1 for those customers, which addresses the same set of security issues.

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If you dawdle over updating your computer, it’s possible that hackers could exploit the security bugs – including some that could mean that simply visiting a booby-trapped webpage could lead to malicious code being automatically run on your computer.

It doesn’t matter whether you own a Mac or a Windows PC, if you run Safari the message is clear.

Update your browser and ensure that you are protected against hackers exploiting the security holes detailed in the security advisory on Apple’s website.

Safari users should practise safe computing, and update their systems as soon as possible.


Graham Cluley is an award-winning keynote speaker who has given presentations around the world about cybersecurity, hackers, and online privacy. A veteran of the computer security industry since the early 1990s, he wrote the first ever version of Dr Solomon's Anti-Virus Toolkit for Windows, makes regular media appearances, and is the co-host of the popular "The AI Fix" and "Smashing Security" podcasts. Follow him on Bluesky and Mastodon, or drop him an email.

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