Safari users are being advised to avoid the Apple-made browser’s built-in RSS reader, according to reports Tuesday. A security vulnerability in both Mac and Windows versions of Safari could allow hackers to snoop through the contents of computer hard-drives.
Although Apple reportedly knows about the software problem, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company has remained silent on when or if it will release a fix.
For Mac users, the security flaw targets Mac OS X Leopard, according to Brian Mastenbrook, a developer who first spotted the glitch. An alternate Mac RSS reader can be selected via Safari’s Preferences menu.
Windows users can switch to Firefox or another alternative to Safari, reports suggested.
Ed Sutherland is a veteran technology journalist who first heard of Apple when they grew on trees, Yahoo was run out of a Stanford dorm and Google was an unknown upstart. Since then, Sutherland has covered the whole technology landscape, concentrating on tracking the trends and figuring out the finances of large (and small) technology companies.
