Apple has quietly released an update to GarageBand, to stop it from compromising your Internet security and privacy settings.

That’s right – the update stops GarageBand – a entry level digital audio workstation – from messing with your Safari Internet cookie settings.

Here’s what Apple has to say about the GarageBand 5.1 Update:

CVE-ID: CVE-2009-2198

Available for: Mac OS X v10.5.7

Impact: A user’s web activity may be tracked by third parties and advertisers

Description: When GarageBand is opened, Safari’s preferences are changed to always accept cookies. The default preference is to accept cookies only for the sites being visited. The altered setting may allow third parties and advertisers to track a user’s web activity. This update addresses the issue by not changing the preference setting. Users who have run previous versions of GarageBand should confirm that their Safari preferences are set as desired.

It’s insane that Apple has to release a security patch to keep GarageBand from making your Web browsing more dangerous and less private.

But it does. GarageBand has been putting Safari into promiscuous mode – telling it to accept cookies from anybody and everybody.

No user would expect using GarageBand to compromise their Internet security.

If you’re a Mac user, who knows how long GarageBand has been reducing your privacy? Apple doesn’t say.

What’s next? You open up iPhoto and it resets all your passwords to “password”?

What an insanely bad idea this was.

Apple has been getting more attention from security analysts and hackers alike. It’s time Apple treated your security and privacy as seriously as they treat design and usability.

Oh yeah – take a visit to Software Update to get GarageBand 5.1. Then go to Safari, select Safari-Preferences- Security, and set Accept cookies to Only from sites I visit.

Next, delete your cookies or scan them and eliminate cookies for sites you don’t recognize.