Researcher warns of 'critical' Java flaw in OS X

The flaw can be exploited by way of specially crafted Java code

Security researchers have warned of an unpatched vulnerability in certain JavaScript components for Mac OS X.

Mac security vendor Intego said that the flaw can be exploited by way of specially crafted Java code which could then allow an attacker to remotely execute code. No attacks targeting the flaw have been reported.

The vulnerability is believed to affect only Java applets and not JavaScript code. Users can mitigate the flaw by disabling Java code within browsers.

Intego claimed that the problem has been known about and left unpatched for roughly six months. Apple is among the companies that have elected to build and maintain Java components in-house.

Security researcher Landon Fuller developed the latest proof-of-concept for the flaw, and blasted Apple for its failure to patch the vulnerability.

"Unfortunately, it seems that many Mac OS X security issues are ignored if the severity of the issue is not adequately demonstrated," Fuller said in a blog post.

"Due to the fact that an exploit for this issue is available in the wild, and the vulnerability has been public knowledge for six months, I have decided to release my own proof-of-concept to demonstrate the issue."

As malware levels for OS X have slowly begun to creep up, Mac security has again become a hot topic with researchers. Thus far, malware writers have eschewed the use of software exploits in favour of social engineering tricks to infect users.