A Mission Viejo, Calif., security researcher has posted code that exploits a number of newly discovered and unpatched bugs in the Mac OS X platform.The software, posted Friday by independent researcher Tom Ferris, could be used to crash applications or even run unauthorized code on the Mac by taking advantage of bugs in the Safari browser and Mac OS X operating system. Ferris’s “proof of concept” code exploits a total of seven bugs. Apple Computer has already been made aware of the bugs and plans to fix them in “the next security release,” Ferris said in a posting to his Security-protocols.com blog.“There [seem] to be some problems with the claimed solid-as-a-rock Unix OS,” he wrote on his blog. “Getting Safari to crash in many different spots is trivial, as where Firefox is very tough.” Long considered to be more secure than Microsoft’s Windows operating system, Mac OS X has increasingly been the focus of security researchers like Ferris. In February, a number of malicious programs, including one called OSX/Leap, were released targeting the Macintosh.The SANS Institute’s Internet Storm Center rated Ferris’ bugs as “highly critical,” and warned that there are no patches or workarounds available for the majority of these vulnerabilities. Ferris made headlines earlier this year when he discovered a bug in the Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 preview browser within minutes of the product being released.Apple representatives were not immediately available to comment for this story.-Robert McMillan, IDG News ServiceKeep checking in at our Security Feed page, or subscribe via RSS, for updated news coverage. Related content news Is China waging a cyber war with Taiwan? Nation-state hacking groups based in China have sharply ramped up cyberattacks against Taiwan this year, according to multiple reports. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 01, 2023 4 mins Cyberattacks Government news Apple patches info-stealing, zero day bugs in iPads and Macs The vulnerabilities that can allow the leaking of sensitive information and enable arbitrary code execution have had exploitations in the wild. By Shweta Sharma Dec 01, 2023 3 mins Zero-day vulnerability feature The CSO guide to top security conferences Tracking postponements, cancellations, and conferences gone virtual — CSO Online’s calendar of upcoming security conferences makes it easy to find the events that matter the most to you. By CSO Staff Dec 01, 2023 6 mins Technology Industry IT Skills Events news Conti-linked ransomware takes in $107 million in ransoms: Report A ransomware campaign linked to the ostensibly defunct Conti malware group has targeted mostly US businesses, in a costly series of attacks. By Jon Gold Nov 30, 2023 4 mins Ransomware Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe