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Apple Releases Mac OS X 10.3.9 Update

OmniVector writes "Right after the Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger announcement just a few days ago, Apple has released an update to version 10.3.9 for Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server (both available via Software Update). The changes mostly include bugfixes with Stickies, Safari, and the Finder." The Server update also addresses issues with Open Directory, cyrus, AFP, and SMB, among others. Apple also updated iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, and iSight this week.

26 of 149 comments (clear)

  1. Undocumented bug fix by objekt · · Score: 4, Informative

    Now my Mac doesn't lock up when I choose the "Restart..."/"Shut Down..." and then sleep the screen during the optional 2-minute wait period.

    --
    -- Boycott Shell
    1. Re:Undocumented bug fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      Unfortunately the macs are still vulnerable to a local root exploit published over six months ago.

      I wonder when they're going to bother fixing little things like root privilege escalations. After they finish polishing those Aqua buttons a little more?

  2. Safari 1.3 by OmniVector · · Score: 4, Informative

    wow i'm a dumbass, and completely left out something really important! Safari 1.3 came out with this update. and consequently seems to have caused problems with some of my Adium themes and Colloquy no longer even renders. Also, one of my Safari plugins caused safari to crash on launch. (AcidSearch it appears).

    lastly, folks, beware of the warning on apple's front page with this update if you're running mac os x server! You must have an administrator account password that does not contain spaces or Option-keyed characters to install this update.

    --
    - tristan
    1. Re:Safari 1.3 by Matthias+Wiesmann · · Score: 5, Informative

      Information about the changes in Safari 1.3 can be found on on David Hyatt's blog.

    2. Re:Safari 1.3 by zhiwenchong · · Score: 2, Informative

      Also I found a problem with Sogudi. Whenever I tried to type a URL without a www, ie. "apple.com", the spinning beachball of death pops up.

      I removed Sogudi, and everything works again. And yes, I finally noticed the speed improvement.

    3. Re:Safari 1.3 by tcoady · · Score: 2, Informative

      Same here. But AcidSearch 0.4 fixes include "Support for Safari 1.3 added".

      More info here http://www.pozytron.com/acidsearch/

  3. Vindicated, yes! by hrbrmstr · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've been bug reporting and complaining about the SSL performance in Safari for almost two years. Folks here and on other Mac forums have dismissed me as some type of loon (they are more right than I'd like to admit most of the time). Apple finally does something about it (though, we'll see if it really helps...I'm installing it now).

    It's nice to be right...

    --
    Mind the gap...
  4. Mainly bugfixes? You should do PR for microsoft:) by dfelznic · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are definitely some bugfixes for stickies and the like. But there are also some important security fixes in the bag. That is a lot of CAN entries for a update that is "mostly bugfixes."

    For whatever reason apple felt icky about calling it an "update," so they threw in this language:

    "Note: It is Apple's standard practice to provide security fixes via a Security Update. On occasion, when a security fix is required to a core system component such as the Kernel, it will be released in a Software Update."

    -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
    Hash: SHA1

    APPLE-SA-2005-04-15 Mac OS X v10.3.9

    Mac OS X v10.3.9 and Mac OS X Server v10.3.9 are now available and deliver the following security enhancements:

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0969
    Impact: A kernel input validation issue can lead to a local denial of service
    Description: The Kernel contains syscall emulation functionality that was never used in Mac OS X. Insufficient validation of an input parameter list could result in a heap overflow and a local denial of service through a kernel panic. The issue is addressed by removing the syscall emulation functionality. Credit to Dino Dai Zovi for reporting this issue.

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0970
    Impact: Permitting SUID/SGID scripts to be installed could lead to privilege escalation. Description: Mac OS X inherited the ability to run SUID/SGID scripts from FreeBSD. Apple does not distribute any SUID/SGID scripts, but the system would allow them to be installed or created. This update removes the ability of Mac OS X to run SUID/SGID scripts. Credit to Bruce Murphy of rattus.net and Justin Walker for reporting this issue.

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0971
    CERT: VU#212190
    Impact: A Kernel stack overflow in the semop() system call could lead to a local privilege escalation.
    Description: The incorrect handling of system call arguments could be used to obtain elevated privileges. This update includes a fix to check access to the kernel object.

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0972
    CERT: VU#185702
    Impact: An integer overflow in the searchfs() system call could allow an unprivileged local user to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges
    Description: The searchfs() system call contains an integer overflow vulnerability that could allow an unprivileged local user to execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges. This update adds input validation on the parameters passed to searchfs() to correct the issue.

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0973
    Impact: Local system users can cause a system resource starvation
    Description: A vulnerability in the handling of values passed to the setsockopt() call could allow unprivileged local users to exhaust available memory. Credit to Robert Stump for reporting this issue.

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0974
    CERT: VU#713614
    Impact: Local system users can cause a local denial of service
    Description: A vulnerability in the nfs_mount() call due to insufficient checks on input values could allow unprivileged local users to create a denial of service via a kernel panic.

    Kernel
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0975
    Impact: Local system users can cause a temporary interruption of system operation
    Description: A vulnerability in the parsing of certain executable files could allow unprivileged local users to temporarily suspend system operations. Credit to Neil Archibald for reporting this issue.

    Safari
    CVE ID: CAN-2005-0976
    Impact: Remote sites could cause html and javascript to run in the local domain.
    Description: This update closes a vulnerability that allowed remote websites to load javascript to execute in the local domain. Credit to David Remahl for reporting this issue.

    Note: It is Apple's standard practice to provide security fixes via a Security Update. On occasion, when a security fix is required to a core system component such as the Kernel, it will be released in a Software Update.

    Mac OS X v10.3.9 and Mac OS X Server v10.3.9 may be obtained from the Software Update pane in System Preferences, or Apple's Software Downloads web site:

  5. No problems with the install... by BobWeiner · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...installed fine on both the single proc. G5 at work and the dual G5 I have at home. Subjectively, it feels faster in the Finder, as well as Safari.

    Bring on Tiger!

    --
    The PC Weenies: 11 Years of Online Tech 'Too
  6. Safari crashes after update? by fsck! · · Score: 3, Informative

    If you use AcidSearch, you'll find that Safari segfaults on startup. You can get Safari back by removing /Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/AcidSearch.bundle. AcidSearch is cool; I hope they update soon.

  7. Re:OT: Trackpad in Firefox by steeviant · · Score: 5, Informative

    It's actually an issue with firefox interpreting inadvertent horizontal scrolling (easy to do with iscroll2 or the new [USB] trackpads) as back/forward requests. Here's how to fix this intentionally broken behaviour...

    From macosxhints.com:
    In Firefox, type about:config into the address bar and hit return. This gives you a list of all possible configuration options. The ones we want are those that start with mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey. Make the following changes by double-clicking the appropriate option in the list:

    * mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey.action => 0
    * mousewheel.horizscroll.withnokey.sysnumlines => true

  8. Re:Trackpad by poopdeville · · Score: 4, Informative

    Although the Safari upgrade re-added Apple, Amazon, eBay, etc. links to my bookmark bar. That was sort of annoying, but easy enough to fix.

    That's because Software Update downloaded a fresh copy of Safari for you. Your "personal" bookmarks are stored in your ~/Library/ directory somewhere, whereas the stock ones are in the application bundle.

    --
    After all, I am strangely colored.
  9. Fix for PithHelmet by rohanl · · Score: 2, Informative

    If you can't wait for the developer's fix, you can patch the Info.plist file so it will load in the new Safari.

    In the file "/Library/Application Support/SIMBL/Plugins/PithHelmet.bundle/Contents/I nfo.plist" change the MaxBundleVersion from "146" to "312"

    It seems to load and work without any problems for me

  10. Re:Java broken now? by rworne · · Score: 2, Informative

    Same here:

    Last login: Fri Apr 15 20:45:01 on ttyp1
    Welcome to Darwin!
    DualG4:~ robert$ java -version
    Segmentation fault
    DualG4:~ robert$

    --
    I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
  11. The Fix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Download and reinstall Security Update-002

  12. Re:Java broken now? by rworne · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's fixed.

    Downloaded Security Update 2005-002 from Apple
    Apply update
    Reboot
    Verify Java works: "java -version" in Terminal.app
    Apply 10.3.9 Combo Updater
    Reboot
    Verify Java works: "java -version" in Terminal.app

    All I know is that it works again for me.

    --
    I tried every decent and legal way I could think of to resolve the issue w/the business before I rented the chicken suit
  13. Re:Mainly bugfixes? You should do PR for microsoft by remahl · · Score: 2, Informative

    I was credited with discovery of the Safari flaw.

    Due to lacking communications, Apple did not notify me in advance that the issue was addressed in 10.3.9, and failed to link to my independent advisory on the issue. Hopefully they will rectify that on Monday.

    My advisory for CAN-2005-0976 is called DR001 and is available on my web site at remahl.se/david/vuln/001/. It has also been posted to bugtraq.

  14. Re:Java broken now? by jweatherley · · Score: 3, Informative

    Here's a tip from Surfin' Safari for those with Java issues: reinstall the security update 2005-002 to fix the java issue.

    No idea if it works but something to try...

    --

    --
    Reverse outsourcing: it's the future
  15. Re:what exploit is that? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    google for k-otik mrouter

  16. Re:Apple removes basic UNIX features from 10.3.9 by pete_yandell · · Score: 4, Informative

    Apple haven't disabled SUID binaries, just SUID scripts. SUID scripts are fundamentally insecure (do a google on "setuid script" for some references) and are already disabled in every other major unix distribution.

  17. Cool addition to Safari by mh101 · · Score: 2, Informative

    I always wished Safari's download manager would list the transfer rate in addition to the file size and estimated time remaining.

    And lo and behold, after installing 10.3.9 it does! Way to go, Apple!

    --
    Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
    1. Re:Cool addition to Safari by Angostura · · Score: 2, Informative

      Option-clicking on the estimated time figure has toggled to transfer rate for quite a long time (since Safari came out?)

  18. Re:Stickies? by Maserati · · Score: 3, Informative

    Since the anonymous comment hasn't been modded up yet...

    Stickies is a beautiful application, sheer coding elegance. It does one thing very well. All it does is display a bunch of text windows in a variety of pastel colors. Each window can be 'windowshaded', which minimizes a window in place by displaying just the title bar (toggled with a double click). I keep all of my stickies windowshaded - the first line of text shows in the title bar so you can tell them apart. And you can drag and drop in and out of a sticky.

    That's all Stickies does. It displays windows you can type into. Nothing fancy, sheer minimalism in action. Adding more features would destroy the program's simplicity.

    Give 'em a try, they're a great place to stash snippets of text without going to multiple clipboards.

    But they aren't plain vanilla text windows. When Apple wrote the default text editing widget for Cocoa they made it very powerful. Because of that text in a sticky note can be be in any mix of fonts and faces, images can be pasted in, and the text can be kerned, and styles can be copied and re-applied. You even inherit the system-wide spellchecker by using the standard text widget.

    Apple has provided a very rich application framework, which raises the quality of software produced by small shops. We've all seen the infinity variety (and range of quality) of widgets that turn up in shareware for Windows. Having a rich frameowrk provided with the OS (and the developer tools) is much better, trust me on this.

    The drag and drop feature is really nice. Windows has it, but it's much more widely support in Mac apps, again because of the rich frameworks.

    Mac OS 9 had that windowshading for all windows, some miss it so there are extensions for OS X that do that.

    --
    Veteran, Bermuda Triangle Expeditionary Force, 1992-1951
  19. Re:Java broken now? by Jacob+Moogberg · · Score: 2, Informative

    Try "java -version" through the terminal. When I did this, I got a segfault, then I reinstalled Security Update 2005-002 http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupd ate2005002macosx1034orlater.html. Everything seems to be working now.

  20. Re:Safari 1.3 - improvements by Rouxfus · · Score: 2, Informative

    + Undo in text fields! + improved pop-up window blocking + faster, especially on https connection + command-shift-arrow works properly now + improved javascript compatibility All around, a great release for this browser. I was on the cusp of switching to Firefox, but undo and spelling checking in the web form text areas are the dog's bollocks!

  21. Re:Apple removes basic UNIX features from 10.3.9 by argent · · Score: 2, Informative

    I do not understand why setuid scripts are any different than setuid binaries?

    You can't change the behaviour of binaries by tweaking environment variables that change the syntax of shell scripts, at least not in the general case.