Apple Releases Safari 3.2 for Windows, Tiger and Leopard

Apple has released Safari 3.2 with 11 security fixes. New versions are available for download both for Mac OS X and Windows. The update includes eight fixes specific to Safari and three specific to Webkit. It improves protection from fraudulent phishing Web sites and offers better identification of online businesses.

Earlier this year, PayPal warned customers not to use Safari browser, because it did not have built-in phishing filter to warn users when they are visiting suspicious Web sites. PayPal’s chief information security officer, Michael Barrett, said that Safari also lacks support for Extended Validation (EV) certificates.

Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details, by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication. Apart from phishing, one of the most serious issues with Apple’s browser involved multiple vulnerabilities in Windows version of Safari’s zlib 1.2.2, the most serious of which may lead to a denial of service. The latest update addressed the issues by updating to zlib 1.2.3 version.

Safari 3.2 is available via the Apple Software Update application, the Apple Software Downloads page, or Apple’s Safari download site. There are three separate downloads: Safari 3.2 for Windows (19 MB), Safari 3.2 for Tiger (25 MB), and Safari 3.2 for Leopard (39 MB). You can learn more about the security content of Safari 3.2 here.