Proof of concept code has now been revealed by a security researcher at SecurityReason to demonstrate a vulnerability in versions 10.5 and 10.6 of Apple’s Mac OS X operating system. The vulnerability is a potential buffer overflow error arising from the use of the strtod function Mac OS X’s underlying Unix code. It was first reported by researcher Maksymilian Arciemowicz last June.
So it seems that Mac’s aren’t as safe and secure as their cut out to be. The reason why Mac’s have less chance of getting a virus or infected is because people who make viruses etc… aren’t bothered going after the minority. Mac’s achieve “security through obscurity” Mac’s only hold approx. 5% of the market with Windows holding over 90%. Now put yourself in the shows of a hacker, would you go after a Mac machine that could be very hard to find on the internet, or would you go after a Windows machine? Of course they go for a Windows machine, not because it’s easier to hack into, but because there is more chance of infecting one.
Securityreason has also said that this security flaw was also in Firefox and Google Chrome, however they have both since been updated to patch this vulnerability. Apple on the other hand have made no move to patch this exploit, which as I mentioned earlier, has been known since last June. SecurityReason’s advisory rates the vulnerability’s risk as “high” and claims that the flaw can be exploited by a remote attacker.
So attention all Mac users, that famous question “ Can Mac’s get viruses? “ , the simple answer is “Yes” but they are not as common as viruses for Windows machines, yet.
So just be web wise, and don’t open suspicious looking email attachments and turn on the built in Mac Firewall for your own safety.
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