Apple posts Safari update for devs, blocks older versions of Flash due to security issue
Cupertino has released new versions of Safari for iOS developers running OS X Mavericks and OS X Mountain Lion.
The updates, Safari 7.1 and Safari 6.2, can be downloaded now from Apple’s Developer portal, and the company is asking developers to concentrate their testing on “general website compatibility.”
Apple notes:
Please test general website compatibility.
- Subpixel rendering is now on by default for all web content. Web sites or in-app web views with extremely tight design constraints may render differently.
- CSS object model getters will return fractional double values based on subpixel layout and rendering metrics instead of rounded integral values.
Please test extension compatibility.
News concerning the update, however, arrived as Apple also announced that it’s blocking older versions of Adobe’s Flash Player due to a major security issue.
In a security note, Apple explained: “Due to security issues in older versions, Apple has updated the web plug-in blocking mechanism to disable all versions prior to Flash Player 14.0.0.145 and 13.0.0.231.”
Mac owners are advised to update to Adobe Flash Player 14.0.0.145 if possible. Version 13.0.0.231 has been made available by Adobe for computers which aren’t compatible with the newer software.
Concerning the issue, MacRumors notes:
The high-priority update was released by Adobe on Tuesday to fix an issue disclosed in a proof-of-concept exploit by Google engineer Michele Spagnuolo. A number of major sites including Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Tumblr were vulnerable to the issue, although they quickly addressed the issue on their ends.
The fix to Adobe Flash Player of course requires computer owners to update their software. Apple’s move, however, will likely give many Mac users the push needed to download and install Adobe's update pronto.
Until then, vulnerable versions of Flash will indeed be blocked under OS X.
See also: Apple is bringing its Volume Purchase Program for apps, iBooks to 16 new countries, Let your kids discover the pleasure of storytelling with Disney Story Central for iPad, and Voilà! Popular multilingual translation app iTranslate now available for Mac.