The Pwn2Own hacking competition is going to prove bad for Apple Safari web browser because the experts believe that this browser has got maximum number of security loopholes. The Safari browser is likely to be hacked multiple times at the contest. This is because it’s a user friendly web browser and supports lots of formats and applications. So, the chances of bugs also increase.
Charlie Miller, the white-hat hacker who successfully cracked an Apple MacBook Air at the last year’s Pwn2Own competition believes that this time the Safari browser will be hacked by at least four hackers. The browser’s security features are so weak that anyone can easily remotely install malware on the handhelds running Safari. Therefore, Miller says that the safari will be the first to fall and he also says that the Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox will throw a real challenge in front of the contestants. Apart from Safari, Google Chrome is also supposed to be an easy target for hackers.
Miller said, “It’s (Safari) an easy target. Apple’s products are really friendly to users, and Safari is designed to handle anything, including all kinds of file formats. With a lot of functionality comes the increased chance of bugs. The more complex software is, the less secure it is.”
The Ventura County star offers the -maybe obvious - insight in an article about the Safari Browser for windows PCs: It is nice, but not a necessity.
However, even in this article, the reviewer can’t deny the new browesr’s speed and accuracy in showing websites.
Safari 3.1 for windows is still in its infancy and was only released in middle of March, so we should not expect any major increases in usage yet.
The Safari on Windows version claims to be best performing browser out there, and recent test results have only supported this case.
According to this graphic from hitslink, the Safari browser hits 5% market share. Hoever, this does include all macs and iPhone based versions as well.
Microsoft Internet Explorer still leads with 78%, followed by Firefox with 15% and Safari with the mentioned 5%.
Web Performance Inc. Releases Safari Browser Performance Research …
Business Wire (press release), CA - Oct 22, 2007
In response to Apple’s claims that its recently released Windows version of the Safari Web browser was the “fastest browser on Windows,” WPI put these …