Apple releases first security update for Vision Pro VR headset
Apple has released the first security update for its new Vision Pro virtual reality headset just as the US cybersecurity agency CISA issued a warning regarding the exploitation of an iOS vulnerability.
The first security update for Vision Pro, specifically for the visionOS spatial computing operating system powering the VR headset, addresses CVE-2024-23222, a WebKit vulnerability that allows arbitrary code execution through specially crafted web content.
When Apple disclosed the flaw in January, it warned that it may have been exploited in malicious attacks, but no details appear to be available.
The vulnerability, Apple said at the time, impacts several types of iPhones and iPads. It was patched with the release of iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3.
In the security advisory for visionOS 1.0.2, Apple included its warning about potential exploitation of CVE-2024-23222, but that does not mean the security hole has been exploited against VR headsets.
These types of vulnerabilities are typically exploited in highly targeted attacks by spyware companies and their customers against iPhone users. However, components such as WebKit are used across multiple products and Apple includes its exploitation warning in each advisory, even if there is no evidence of attacks against that specific product.
Apple clarified in the fall that “most frameworks available in iPadOS and iOS are also included in visionOS, which means nearly all iPad and iPhone apps can run on visionOS, unmodified.” This means some iOS vulnerabilities will also impact visionOS, but it’s unlikely that we’ll see attacks aimed at Vision Pro users any time soon.
The first visionOS security update was announced on January 31, just two days before the official launch of the Vision Pro, whose price starts at $3,499.
Also on January 31, CISA added CVE-2022-48618 to its known exploited vulnerabilities catalog. This flaw impacts iOS and iPadOS, and Apple said it may have been exploited against iPhones running iOS 15.17.1 and earlier.
Apple silently added this vulnerability on January 9, 2024, to iOS and macOS advisories initially published in December 2022. There do not appear to be any previous reports describing exploitation of this vulnerability.
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