"Highly critical" Safari, IE 5.2 vulnerability

Wouldn't you know IE would be one of the vulnerable ones...

[bedlam]

It is reportedly possible to place arbitrary files in a known location, including script files, on a user's system if the Safari browser has been configured to ("Open "safe" files after download") (default behaviour) by asking a user to download a ".dmg" (disk image) file.

This has been confirmed on Macintosh OS X using Safari 1.2.1 (v125.1) and Internet Explorer 5.2.

The MacCentral article:
[maccentral.macworld.com...]

The Secunia advisory:
[secunia.com...]

Eek.

-B

[timster]

I've dismissed previous alarms about Mac OS X malware, but this one is serious.

Looks like I'll be surfing with Netscape 7 (shudder) until they get this ironed out.

[your_store]

Oh it's not worth switching to Netscape.. why don't you just switch back to a PC ;)

Can you not just turn off "open safe files after download" to protect yourself?

[andy_boyd]

Yep, if you turn off "open safe files after download" you should be fine.

This security flaw works on all Mac OS X browsers. Apparently Apple are "actively investigating this potential security issue." Hopefully they'll issue a Security Update soon.

[timster]

Perk up a little, friends. No, turning off "open safe files" is not enough. Don't you guys read macintouch?

This site may convince you (it doesn't hurt):
[bronosky.com...]

By the way, my mistake, switching to Netscape 7 also doesn't help either.

There is help, though:
[isophonic.net...]

[your_store]

Thanks for the eye opener and the link to the "patch" Tedster. I never want to see my terminal do that again.

[upside]

Another approach is to disable/redirect help, ssh, and telnet links so that they are no longer handled by their respective default applications. See the More Internet preference pane:

[versiontracker.com...]

[bedlam]

...and Apple issues a patch:

[maccentral.macworld.com...]

Apple Computer Inc. issued an update on Friday to fix a reported security hole in its Safari Web Browser. The venerability, which was classified as "Extremely Critical" by security firm Secunia, allowed the execution of malicious code on the users computer.

-B

What's a "venerability" anyway?

[bedlam]

...and the patch is not good enough...

[maccentral.macworld.com...]
[secunia.com...]

This vulnerability has been confirmed on a fully patched Mac OS X system (including the patch "Security Update 2004-05-24 for Mac OS X" released by Apple, which fixes the "help" URI handler vulnerability).

Anyone remember a kids book called "Oh what good news..."?

[BjarneDM]

Here are the complete details with workarounds:
[unsanity.com...]
[daringfireball.net...]
[daringfireball.net...]
[wiredblogs.tripod.com...]