Apple releases OS X 10.5.3, users report problems

The update to Apple's operating system fixes a multitude of its security vulnerabilities, but some users are reporting issues with graphics and Adobe CS3 after upgrading.

Along with fixing issues with incorrect fonts, video and audio playback, and wireless network connectivity, at least two dozen security issues were patched.

Mac OS X's Web server, based on Apache, has been updated. This was done by upgrading the version shipped with Mac OS X from 2.0.55 to 2.0.63, which addresses several issues, including a cross-site scripting vulnerability.

Adobe's Flash player was also updated in order to deal with a code execution risk. Apple said multiple issues are present, and the solution is to update to the latest version of Flash, 9.0.124.0.

Character encoding issues that could cause information disclosure have also been remedied, as well as kernel problems which could cause either the end user or attacker to cause an unexpected system shutdown.

Apple said an issue continues to exist with sending mail through an SMTP server over IPv6 which may cause the application to crash, put data at risk, or open a code execution hole.

Otherwise, code execution flaws have also been fixed in AppKit, Apple Pixlet Video, Apple Type Services, CoreFoundation, CoreGraphics, HelpViewer, iCal, and ImageIO.

More information on the specific vulnerabilities and fixes can be found on the Apple Web site.

The update process has not been smooth for everyone. Following the upgrade, users who were attempting to save files over a network in Adobe CS3 discovered some new issues along the way. Some of the problems first reported in 10.5.2 also apparently are still not corrected in the new version, according to some users.

Apple is aware of the Adobe CS3 problem, but the company says it's not widespread enough at this time to warrant significant testing to fix it, according to a report by AppleInsider.