一直以来都被认为相对微软的Windows操作系统不会面临安全漏洞或是受到病毒攻击的苹果公司表示，其软件当中出现的一个安全漏洞使得用户的电脑很容易受到攻击。 这是5月来苹果第二次警告其OS X操作系统当中有一个罕见的安全漏洞，其表示，一个应用程序当中出现了一个“理论上的漏洞”，从而使得用户在浏览网页时有可能曝露在一个恶意软件代码面前。
上述安全漏洞的性质，诸如其是否会导致计算机易受外部攻击，或是使得诸如蠕虫病毒的代码进入操作系统，现在还不得而知。苹果的管理层也拒绝提供更多的详情。
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc., long considered to be relatively immune to the security holes and viruses that plague longtime rival Microsoft Corp.'s Windows, said on Friday a security hole in its software leaves users' computers vulnerable to attack.
Apple, warning of a rare security hole in the company's OS X operating system for the second time this month, said in a release that a "theoretical vulnerability" in an application used to get help while browsing the Web could expose users to a malicious software code.
The specific nature of the security hole, such as whether it makes the computer vulnerable to outsiders or allows virus-like code to enter the operating system, was not made clear. Cupertino, California-based Apple's officials declined to provide specific comment beyond the release.
Mac, and its legion of enthusiastic users, have long touted the benefits of owning Apple's Macintosh personal computer, such as its ease of use and immunity from the computer viruses that plague users of PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Apple urged users to go to its Web site to download a free software update.
Microsoft, whose Windows market share of over 90 percent makes it an attractive target for virus writers and attackers, has been plagued with crippling security holes and malicious software exploiting them.
"While no operating system can be completely immune from all security issues, Mac OS X's UNIX-based architecture has so far turned out to be much better than most," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.
Apple says that OS X, which is based on a software system called Unix that is more than two decades old, is more robust because it is built with better permissioning tools and also draws upon the expertise of other software developers who write programs based on Unix.
Steve Jobs, Apple's co-founder and chief executive, likes to take the stage to tell loyal users of the company's "insanely great" products with "the best operating system in the world" but the message from company officials on Friday was markedly toned down.
"Apple takes security very seriously and works quickly to address potential threats as we learn of them-in this case, before there was any actual risk to our customers," said Schiller.