Apple has released an update to OS X that patches the large security vulnerability identified last week. The flaw stemmed from an erroneous line of code and meant that certain apps on Macs, iPhones, and iPads were susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, potentially allowing a hacker to pose as a trusted website or service. Johns Hopkins cryptographer Matthew Green called the flaw "seriously exploitable" after it was identified last week by Apple itself. At the time, Apple released an update to iOS 7 that resolved the issue on mobile, but security researchers discovered that it was still active on the latest Macs and called for it to quickly be fixed.

Today's security update, which is available by selecting Software Update inside a Mac's Apple menu, is said to resolve the issue on both OS X Mavericks and Mountain Lion. On Mavericks, Apple is releasing the patch as part of a larger update that brings the operating system to version 10.9.2, which includes small improvements to Mail, iMessage, and Safari, and adds the ability to make and receive FaceTime audio calls.