Apple users at risk from hackers: Here’s how to fix it

Apple has taken urgent action to fix two critical security flaws that are already being used by hackers to exploit iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. The ‘zero-day vulnerabilities’, as they are called, have been addressed in the latest Apple update.

Zero-day vulnerabilities are severe weaknesses in software that hackers exploit before the software creators even know about them.

Apple has released iOS 17.1.2 and has issued a warning along with it to fix these vulnerabilities.

The specific issues were found in web browser engine WebKit, which is behind the iPhone maker’s Safari.

The bugs allowed attackers to access sensitive information and execute harmful code on vulnerable devices by tricking users into visiting malicious websites.

In both cases, Apple is “aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1,” Apple wrote on its support page.

The issue affected various Apple devices, including iPhone XS and later models, iPad models like iPad Pro and iPad Air, and Macs running specific versions of macOS.

How important is it to update?

There should be no confusion about the importance of this update. The fact that Apple had to push out iOS 17.1.2 before the much talked about iOS 17.2 means it is very important for you to update your device.

Apple has also said that the vulnerabilities were exploited on iPhones running iOS 16.7.1 and it is possible that devices running iOS 16.7.2 are not affected.

So, if you haven’t updated to iOS 17 and have a device that supports it, it’s advisable to update it to the latest version.

These two make for the 19th and 20th zero-day vulnerabilities discovered and fixed by Apple in 2023.

To update your phone, go to your Settings > General > Software Update and download and install iOS 17.1.2.