Apple premiers automatic update for security flaw

Apple has issued its first-ever automated security update – not requiring user intervention – aimed at preventing newly discovered bugs from allowing hackers to wrestling control of Macs from users, according to a Reuters account.

The push is intended to patch vulnerabilities in the network time protocol (NTP) segment of the Mac's OS, which keeps clocks synced on computers. A NTP flaw could cause a buffer overflow that enables attackers to execute code on a users' system. 

While the update technology has been in place for two years to send out automatic security fixes, this is the first instance of its being used. When Apple released previous security patches, it has done so through its regular software update system, which typically requires user intervention.

The severity of these new vulnerabilities prompted the company to act quickly, said a company spokesman.