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Apple updates Mac OS X to 10.3.5

Includes PNG vulnerability fix

Apple has released the latest Mac OS X update, taking the operating system to version 10.3.5.

It has also patched a hole in the OS' code for handling PNG graphics files.

Mac OS X 10.3.5 improves on its predecessors with improvements to the OS' Bluetooth code for better data transfer performance and its graphics drivers for ATI and Nvidia chips.

The update also touches on the OS' font handling, its compatibility with external Firewire and USB devices, its support for NTFS formatted volumes and how it handles remote login and home directory mounting.

Safari now handles GIF files better, while Mail mailbox renaming is possible without potential data loss. Image Capture, the OS' digital camera and scanner control software, can now pull across MPEG 4 video files. Various 10.3.4 issues surrounding PowerBook and iBook audio - both in and out - have been fixed too, Apple said.

Most importantly, the update provides a new version of libpng, the operating system's library of routines for dealing with PNG (Portable Network Graphics) files. The update now prevents the buffer overflow attacks that could open the Mac OS - and other operating systems that support PNG - to malware.

Apple also made this fix available as a separate update for both Mac OS X 10.3 and 10.2.8, for Mac users who have yet to upgrade to Panther.

All the updates are available through Mac OS X's Software Update facility - look in System Preferences - or as standalone downloads.

Apple is offering a full update, that takes any version of Mac OS 10.3 to 10.3.5. You can get it here, but it's an 88MB download. The smaller (43MB) 'delta' update, which only upgrades 10.3.4 to 10.3.5, is available here.

Both releases include the latest Security Update, which is also available as a standalone install for Mac OS X 10.2.8 here and Mac OS X 10.3.5 here. ®

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