14 DAY TRIAL // New versions of the Safari web browser are now available for both Mac and Windows users looking to improve the behavior of the software. Leopard, Snow Leopard and Windows customers get version 5.0.3, whereas Mac OS X Tiger users are offered Safari 4.1.3.
All versions of the update pretty much include the same fixes and enhancements, such as more accurate Top Hit results in the Address Field, more accurate results in Top Sites, more reliable pop-up blocking, improved stability when typing into search and text input fields on www.netflix.com andwww.facebook.com, and improved stability when using JavaScript-intensive extensions.
For Mac users in particular, Apple reveals that it has improved stability when using VoiceOver with Safari.
On the Windows side, this change is also mentioned, albeit without the mentioning of VoiceOver (a Mac-specific function): “Improved stability when using a screen reader with Safari,” Apple notes.
Additionally, Safari 5.0.3 for Mac and Windows ixes an issue that could cause content delivered with the Flash 10.1 plug-in to overlap webpage content, Apple claims.
As usual, Apple also included a number of security patches for both Mac and Windows users. 27 of them to be precise, all of which deal with the WebKit layout engine powering the browser (more coverage of the security content of Safari 5.0.3 / Safari 4.1.3 is available here).
WebKit is also used by other Apple products (iTunes), as well as Google’s Chrome web browser.
Apple lists the following operating systems and their respective versions as affected by all 27 WebKit flaws: Mac OS X v10.4.11, Mac OS X Server v10.4.11, Mac OS X v10.5.8, Mac OS X Server v10.5.8, Mac OS X v10.6.4 or later, Mac OS X Server v10.6.4 or later, Windows 7, Vista, XP SP2 or later.
Since most of the vulnerabilities may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution, they are classified as critical.