Apple warns of exploited security flaw across devices

Major security vulnerabilities “actively exploited” within iPhones, iPads and Macs have been disclosed by Apple

The security flaw revealed by the tech corporation in two reports on Wednesday is said to allow threat actors to full admin access to the device, says The Telegraph.

Experts recommend the following models affected by the vulnerability to be updated by consumers:

  • Mac computers running MacOS Monterey;
  • iPhone 6S and later models;
  • several iPad models, including the 5th generation and later;
  • all iPad Pro models;
  • iPad Air 2.

Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, said that successful access by hackers can lead to execution of “any code as if they are you, the user”, going on to state that users who are in the public eye — such as journalists or activists — should be particularly attentive to updates.

According to experts, three operating system updates — iPad and iOS 15.6.1, and macOS 12.5.1 — are reported to fix this issue.

Apple announced the general release of its iOS 15.6.1, as well as macOS Monterey 12.5.1, during the company’s recent WWDC22 conference.

While Apple stated in its release that iOS 15.6.1 “provides important security updates and is recommended for all users,” security researcher Will Strafach said he is yet to see technical analysis of the vulnerabilities patched.

The amount of users affected by the security flaw is, as of now, unknown, but with endpoints — widely distributed as a result of remote and hybrid working — being increasingly targeted, organisations must stay vigilant when it comes to keeping hardware updated with the latest patches.

Related:

The key to mobile security? Be smarter than your device — Tim Dinsmore, director at Appurity, discusses how being smarter than your device can be the key to optimising mobile security.

Overcoming the biggest cyber security staff challenges — Andrew Rose, resident CISO EMEA at Proofpoint, discusses the biggest cyber security staff challenges facing organisations, and how to overcome them.

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Aaron Hurst

Aaron Hurst is Information Age's senior reporter, providing news and features around the hottest trends across the tech industry.

Related Topics

Apple
Device Security
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