Mac OS Vulnerabilities
Many people mistakenly believe that Mac-based operating systems, sometimes called OS X if you are referring to the current version for computers or iOS for mobile devices, are inherently secure. This is an incorrect assumption. For a long time, the best protection for Mac-based operating systems was scarcity. With a much smaller user base, fewer people were looking for vulnerabilities.
As Mac products have increased in popularity, most notably iPhone and iPad products, a growing number of vulnerabilities have been found. The perception of Macs as secured operating systems has actually been a hindrance to security efforts, as users often fail to take basic precautions such as installing antivirus software.
Like most technologies, the operating systems produced by Apple are susceptible to their own set of vulnerabilities. This is true for both Apple’s laptop and smartphone platforms. The following is an overview, with some additional resources.
An active community composed of general users and developers identifies and documents Mac OS X vulnerabilities so that they can be systematically analyzed, tracked, and addressed in future software updates. A list of the vulnerabilities identified for Mac OS X can be found on the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) website.
The vulnerability types cataloged include denial-of-service attacks, the ability to obtain sensitive information, and the ability to bypass security mechanisms.
