Apple issues Java updates

Apple has issued updates for the Java components of its two most recent OS X releases.

The company posted Java updates for OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard. The 10.4 update addreses Java 2SE 5, while the Leopard update contains fixes for Java SE 5 and SE 6 for users running 64-bit Mac systems.

The 10.4 update addresses compatibility and stability issues as well as a security update.

The three security fixes address a total of 38 Common Vulnerability and Exposure (CVE) entries in Java. Each of the fixes addresses errors which could lead to remote code execution.

Apple said that the errors contained both Mac-specific and Java-specific flaws.

While Sun Microsystems develops and maintain Java software for several operating systems, Apple is among the vendors that have opted to develop Java components in-house.

The Leopard edition of the patch contains similar fixes, addressing 47 CVE entries and upgrading encryption protections for JavaScript code within Mac OS applications.

Users can download both updates from Apple's Software Update utility of from the company's support download site.