Serious Zero-Day Security Flaw in iOS and OS X Could Lead to Password Theft

Is almost nine months long enough to fix a serious security vulnerability that hackers could use to steal passwords and plant malware undetected on computers and smartphones?

You would certainly like to think so, wouldn't you?

Especially if the security holes were in the heart of iOS and OS X, and the company responsible for fixing them was Apple with its considerable resources. And yet, alarms have been rung today that Mac and iDevice users remain at risk, over half a year after university researchers privately disclosed details of the problem to Apple's security team in Cupertino.