A flaw in Apple's Safari browser for Windows could be exploited by hackers in a bid to steal personal information from Web surfers, says an open source software developer.

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"Safari ... is vulnerable to an attack that allows a malicious web site to read files on a user's hard drive without user intervention," Mastenbrook said in a blog.

Mastenbrook, who also says that Mac OS X 10.5 users are also affected, even if they are not using the Safari browser, advises users to switch browsers until Apple issues a release for the bug.

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