Security

A fix for a new kind of exploit recently discovered in the Bash command shell used in multiple versions of Unix is underway, Apple confirmed Friday, adding that the “vast majority” of Mac users are unaffected because OS X is "safe by default" from the so-called 'Shell Shock' attacks.

"The vast majority of OS X users are not at risk to recently reported Bash vulnerabilities," an Apple spokesperson said in a statement quoted by The Verge.

The vulnerability was documented and publicized Thursday by security researchers at RedHat and gained prominences after security expert Robert Graham called it “as big as the Heartbleed bug,” referring to a nasty vulnerability discovered earlier in the year in the OpenSSL software commonly used by nearly two-thirds of servers powering the Internet.

A new exploit in the Bash command shell found in many versions of Unix, including Apple's OS X desktop operating system, makes Mac computers vulnerable to so-called 'Shell Shock' attacks, security researchers at RedHat discovered Thursday.

Though the exploit lets attackers run malicious scripts remotely, most people are not at risk unless they've manually allowed SSH access from remote connections or a web server running server side scripting.

Here's how you can check if you're vulnerable and what you can do in order to avoid 'Shell Shock' attacks on your system.