Security Alert: Microsoft Advises Users To Restrict Safari Use

By Dee Chisamera
09:46, June 1st 2008
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Security Alert: Microsoft Advises Users To Restrict Safari Use

Microsoft’s security team issued a warning to all Windows users to stop using Apple’s Safari browser pending a security vulnerability investigation. On May 15, Nitesh Dhanjani disclosed three security issues in the Safari browser, one of which he called the “Safari Carpet Bomb.”

Basically this allows a rogue site to little a user’s desktop with executable files, allowing the attackers to run unauthorized software on the user’s computer. Microsoft warned that anyone who uses Safari at this point is vulnerable to such an attack.

According to the Microsoft Security Advisory (953818), until completion of the investigation, users should restrict the use of Safari as a web browser until an appropriate update is available from Microsoft and/or Apple.

Microsoft said that for the moment, they had no knowledge of any attacks attempting to exploit the threat which allows remote code execution on all supported version of Windows XP and Vista.

However, they have already begun working on providing a solution through a service pack, the monthly update process or an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs.

As Dhanjani pointed out, this threat doesn’t concern Windows users only, but OS X users too.

Despite all the aggravation, Apple doesn’t seem to consider this a security issue. Nitesh Dhanjani suggested in an email to Apple to incorporate an option to ask before downloading anything into the Safari browser, which Apple said they might take into consideration as “a measure to raise the bar against unwanted downloads,” rather than a security issue.

Apple’s refusal to treat the matter as a security vulnerability is probably what pushed Microsoft to take the matter into their own hands. Apple did not comment on Microsoft’s advisory, or on the story.



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