Apple has finally released updates to protect Mac OS X systems from the dangerous “Shellshock” bug.
The osxPatches are available via Software Update, or from the following links for OS X Mavericks, Mountain Lion, and Lion.
What is amazing is the amount of time that Apple has taken to get the patch to its users. Given that it was given a patch by open sources weeks ago.
Sources within Apple suggest that the company did not want to trust any outsider when it came to the patch and ordered its software engineers to come up with a version of its own. This resulted in a long delay.
It was also not helped by Apple claiming that it was invulnerable to the Shellshock bug.
“With OS X, systems are safe by default and not exposed to remote exploits of bash unless users configure advanced UNIX services,” an Apple spokesperson said last week, adding that the company is “working to quickly provide a software update for our advanced UNIX users.”
Shellshock has been built in to every version of bash since the system’s inception in 1989. A remote attack, nefarious users could potentially issue commands to an affected computer with the intent of gathering information modifying system files and more.
Mac owners running Mavericks can download the 3.4MB patch through Apple Support website, as can users operating Mountain Lion and Lion. For Mountain Lion, the fix comes in at 34.3MB, while the Lion download clocks in at 3.5MB. Alternatively, the patch is available through Software Update.
