Mobile & Wireless

Apple Patches WebKit Code Execution in iPhones, MacBooks

Apple rolled out iOS 16.3 and macOS Ventura 13.2 to cover serious security vulnerabilities.

January 23, 2023

Apple patches exploited vulnerability in old iPhones

Apple’s product security response team on Monday rolled out patches to cover numerous serious security vulnerabilities affecting users of its flagship iOS and macOS platforms.

The most serious of the documented vulnerabilities affect WebKit and can expose both iOS and macOS devices to code execution attacks via booby-trapped web content, Apple warned in multiple advisories.

On the mobile side, Apple pushed out iOS and iPadOS 16.3 with fixes for more than a dozen documented security defects in a range of operating system components. These include a trio of WebKit rendering engine bugs that expose devices to arbitrary code execution.

The WebKit flaws also affect users of Apple’s macOS Ventura, Monterey and Big Sur operating systems.

The iOS and iPadOS 16.3 update also fixes privacy- and data-exposure vulnerabilities in AppleMobileFileIntegrity, ImageIO, kernel, Maps, Safari, Screen Time and Weather.

The company also rolled out macOS Ventura 13.2 with patches for about 25 documented vulnerabilities, some serious enough to cause code execution attacks.

Written By Ryan Naraine

Ryan Naraine is Editor-at-Large at SecurityWeek and host of the popular Security Conversations podcast series. He is a security community engagement expert who has built programs at major global brands, including Intel Corp., Bishop Fox and GReAT. Ryan is a founding-director of the Security Tinkerers non-profit, an advisor to early-stage entrepreneurs, and a regular speaker at security conferences around the world.

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