Apple fixes Safari RSS vulnerability, updates Java

Security Update 2009-001

The new update is available in many flavors through Software Update for Leopard (43.4MB), Server Universal (213MB), Tiger PowerPC (74MB), Leopard Server (46.54MB), Tiger Server PowerPC (141.76MB), and Tiger Intel (164.23MB).

According to Apple, the update fixes the security flaw found in Safari last month that opened the door to malicious websites accessing personal information through an RSS feed.

"This update addresses the issues through improved handling of embedded JavaScript within feed: URLs," Apple wrote, thanking Brian Mastenbrook for bringing attention to the issue in mid-January along with Laconic Security's Clint Ruoho and Microsoft's Billy Rios.

Other fixes are enclosed for vulnerabilities in the X11 server, AFP server, Apple Pixlet Video, a memory corruption issue in CarbonCore, and a flaw where local users could access another user's deleted, then recreated, Downloads folder, to name a few.

Tiger-specific vulnerabilities repaired with the round of fixes were found in FreeType and LibX11. According to the document, computers running Leopard are either not affected by these two issues or have already been fixed in Mac OS X 10.5.6.

Apple Support has the full release notes.

Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 3, 10.4 Release 8

Leopard users are asked to install Java for Mac OS X 10.5 Update 3 (3MB), which improves the security and compatibility of Java on Mac OS X 10.5.6 and later.

Details are few, but Apple says the release updates the Java Web Start and Java Applet components.

Users of Apple's older Tiger release are being given Java for Mac OS X 10.4 Release 8 (1.6MB) through Software Update to update the same Web Start and Applet components in the earlier software.