Mac OS X 10.5.3 is out, along with the associated Security Update 2008-003 (for Tiger). The security update fixes the usual set of random vulnerabilities, and is actually somewhat smaller than many recent security updates. There are 26 specific fixes listed, many having to do with maliciously crafted files. Probably the most significant one has to do with fixes to Adobe’s Flash Player, which has historically been quite buggy. How well the new version works is yet to be seen.

There are two somewhat unusual fixes. These have to do specifically and only with IPv6. As we’ve mentioned here previously, IPv6, the next generation of Internet protocols, at this point is little more than a security vulnerability. These are now the third and fourth fixes to IPv6-specific security issues (see “IPv6 strikes again”), which wouldn’t be all that bad if IPv6 were useful for anything. But alas right now it’s not, so we’ll repeat our recommendation that you should block it using your firewall and/or disable it through Network System Preferences.