Apple issues SSL fix for OS X Mavericks users

CUPERTINO, Calif., Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Apple issued a patch for OS X Mavericks users Tuesday, which among other things fixes the SSL bug that made users susceptible to external attacks.

This comes a week after Apple discovered the bug, which seemed to have creeped into the code some time in 2012. The security hole is not present in versions of OS X prior to OS X 10.9 Mavericks or iOS prior to iOS 6. Users have been advised to update their Apple devices to protect their security.

The vulnerability not only affected Safari but other installed applications that relied on an encrypted channel to communicate with the internet. However, third party applications, like Chrome and Firefox, relied on a different implementations of the Secure Socket Layer, keeping them away from this security flaw.

Prior to the iOS update, Apple said that the glitch allowed an outside user with access to an unsecured network to capture or modify data being transmitted.

Apart from the fix, the OS X 10.9.2 update includes the ability to block users on iMessage, make audio calls and use call waiting on FaceTime. The update also fixes a VPN issue and a sound issue on the Mac.

[Apple] [ZDNet]