Apple disclosed in a security update that some of its iPhones, iPads, and Macs had certain vulnerabilities.
Apple users have been advised to immediately update their iPhones, iPads and Macs to protect against a pair of security vulnerabilities that can allow attackers to take complete control of their devices. In both cases, Apple said, there are credible reports that hackers are already abusing the vulnerabilities to attack users. One of the software weaknesses affects the kernel, the deepest layer of the operating system that all the devices have in common, Apple said. The other affects WebKit, the underlying technology of the Safari web browser. For each of the bugs, the company said it was “aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” though it provided no further details. It credited an anonymous researcher or researchers for disclosing both. Anyone with an iPhone released since 2015, an iPad released since 2014 or a Mac running macOS Monterey can download the update by opening up the settings menu on their mobile device or choosing “software update” on the “about this Mac” menu on their computer. A hacker could get “full admin access to the device” so that they can “execute any code as if they are you, the user.” Those who should be particularly attentive to updating their software are “people who are in the public eye,” such as activists or journalists who might be the targets of sophisticated nation-state spying. Until the fix was released on Wednesday, the vulnerabilities will have been classed as “zero-day” bugs because there has been a fix available for them for zero days. Such weaknesses are hugely valuable on the open market, where cyberweapon brokers will buy them for hundreds of thousands, or millions, of dollars. The broker Zerodium, for instance, will pay “up to $500,000” for a security weakness that can be used to hack a user through Safari and up to $2m for a fully developed piece of malware that can hack an iPhone without a user needing to click on anything.
Update iPhone automatically If you didn’t turn on automatic updates when you first set up your iPhone, do the following: Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates. Turn on Download iOS Updates and Install iOS Updates. When an update is available, the iPhone downloads and installs the update overnight while charging and connected to Wi-Fi, you’re notified before an update is installed. Update iPhone manually At any time, you can check for and install software updates. Go to Settings > General > Software Update. The screen shows the currently installed version of iOS and whether an update is available. To turn off automatic updates, go to Settings > General > Software Update > Automatic Updates.
How to update macOS on your Mac Follow these steps to check for new Apple software updates on your Mac: 1. Go to the Apple menu 2. Click About This Mac, then click Software Update in the window that opens Apple menu - macOS Monterey 2. Select the Software Update option About This Mac - Overview tab Click About This Mac, then click Software Update in the window that opens. 3. Check for available macOS updates The System Preferences will appear and search for new macOS updates. If it finds any, click Update Now to download and install that update. If the update is already downloaded, click Restart Now to install it instead. It could take anywhere between five minutes and five hours to download and install a new software update for your Mac, depending on the size of the update and the speed of your internet connection. When the update is downloaded, your Mac will prompt you to Restart so it can install the update. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201541
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