Mac OS X 'has 20 zero-day security holes'

2010-03-22

The Mac OS X operating system has at least 20 zero-day security holes, a prominent IT security researcher has suggested.

Charles Miller, who has previously worked with the National Security Agency, is planning to unveil the flaws at this week's CanSecWest digital security conference in Vancouver, Canada.

He also explained that the Mac OS X has a reputation for being safer than Windows because fewer people use it, therefore making it less attractive to hackers.

"Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town," he noted.

A zero-day security hole is a software limitation which neither the makers - in this case Apple - nor the users are aware of until it becomes common knowledge.

Last month, Aaron Portnoy, who organises hacking competition Pwn2Own, suggested that Windows 7 is more secure than Mac OS X, Electric Pig reports.

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