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Apple: Patched a major glitch that came to light last week. Photo: Getty Images
Apple has issued fixes for a security flaw in its Macintosh computers that allows hackers to intercept data such as emails, patching a major glitch that came to light several days ago.
The security update for users of Apple's OS X computer operating system follows a fix issued for iPhones last week, meaning all Apple device users now have access to the patch.
By default, security updates should install automatically on OS X. Users can manually check for the update by clicking on "Sofware Update" from the Apple menu in the top-left of the screen.
The flaw allowed attackers with access to a user's network – such as shared, unsecured Wi-Fi – to see or alter exchanges between the user and protected sites such as Gmail or Facebook.
Governments with access to telco or ISP data could do the same, experts said.
On Tuesday, Apple said in a statement that the Mac security update also improved features such as its FaceTime video-conferencing service and email.
The flaw appeared related to the way in which well-understood protocols are implemented, and how Apple's software recognises digital certificates used by websites to establish encrypted connections.
Researchers have said the bug could have been present for months. Apple has not said when or how it learned about the flaw in the way iOS handles sessions, in what are known as secure sockets layer (SSL) or transport layer security. Nor has it said whether the flaw was being exploited.
An Apple spokesman declined to comment.
Reuters, Fairfax Media