Security updates released by Apple this week for iOS 13 and macOS Catalina 10.15 address roughly 40 vulnerabilities, including issues that affect both operating systems.
macOS Catalina 10.15.1, the first security update for the latest major version of the operating system, fixes 33 vulnerabilities, including flaws that can be exploited through malicious applications or by getting the targeted user to process a specially crafted file.
The security holes can be exploited to obtain information, bypass authentication, execute arbitrary code with elevated privileges, exfiltrate data, elevate privileges, or launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
iOS 13.2 and iPadOS 13.2 patch 28 vulnerabilities, including ones that allow arbitrary code execution with elevated privileges, data exfiltration, memory leaks, authentication bypass, forcing a user to connect to a malicious Wi-Fi, secretly recording the device’s screen, cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, user interface spoofing, and obtaining user information.
It’s worth noting that roughly a dozen of the vulnerabilities impact both iOS and macOS, including issues affecting components such as Accounts, App Store, Associated Domains, Audio, Books, Contacts, File System Events, Graphics Driver, and the kernel.
Apple has also patched vulnerabilities in watchOS, Safari and tvOS. watchOS and tvOS are based on iOS, and Safari shares the WebKit browser engine with iOS, which means these vulnerabilities are mostly the same as the ones patched in iOS.
While many of these vulnerabilities will likely never be exploited for malicious purposes, many flaws in Apple software have been leveraged in attacks. Google recently disclosed some iOS vulnerabilities that had been exploited to remotely hack iPhones, and a recently patched iTunes flaw had been used by BitPaymer ransomware operators to run code and evade detection.
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