It’s a very busy Patch Wednesday for computer users running Apple’s flagship macOS and iOS devices.
Apple’s security response team has pushed out software fixes for at least 39 software vulnerabilities haunting the macOS Catalina, iOS and iPadOS platforms.
The patches provide cover for numerous gaping memory safety flaws, some serious enough to expose users to remote code execution attacks.
Apple’s advisories did not contain any language warning about in-the-wild zero-day exploitation of these vulnerabilities.
[ READ: Can ‘Lockdown Mode’ Solve Apple’s Mercenary Spyware Problem ]
Cupertino is urging iPhone and iPad users to pay urgent attention to the iOS 15.6 update because of the risk of serious hacker attacks.
The 39 vulnerabilities (most were related to memory safety issues) were addressed in a wide range of iOS/iPadOS components, including AppleAVD, AppleMobileFileIntegrity, Apple Neural Engine, CoreText, ImageIO and WebKit.
Apple’s Security Update 2022-005 Catalina was also released with cover for these vulnerabilities.
The company also released macOS Big Sur 11.6.8 with patches for 32 documented vulnerabilities, and macOS Monterey 12.5 with updates addressing 56 software flaws.
Apple also shipped security fixes for bugs in watchOS and tvOS.
Related: Apple Adds ‘BlastDoor’ to Secure iPhones From Zero-Click Attacks
Related: Apple Adds ‘Lockdown Mode’ to Thwart .Gov Mercenary Spyware
Related: NSO Zero-Click ‘Most Technically Sophisticated Exploit Ever Seen’
Related: Secretive Israeli Exploit Company Behind Wave of Zero-Day Exploits
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.
More from Ryan Naraine
- Backslash Snags $8M Seed Financing for AppSec Tech
- Oleria Scores $8M Seed Funding for ID Authentication Technology
- Aembit Scores $16.6M Seed Funding for Workload IAM Technology
- Project Zero: Samsung Mobile Chipsets Vulnerable to Baseband Code Execution Exploits
- Rapid7 Buys Anti-Ransomware Firm Minerva Labs for $38 Million
- Microsoft Pins Outlook Zero-Day Attacks on Russian Actor, Offers Detection Script
- Microsoft Warns of Outlook Zero-Day Exploitation, Patches 80 Security Vulns
- Adobe Warns of ‘Very Limited Attacks’ Exploiting ColdFusion Zero-Day
Latest News
- Watch on Demand: Supply Chain & Third-Party Risk Summit Sessions
- TikTok CEO Grilled by Skeptical Lawmakers on Safety, Content
- CISA, NSA Issue Guidance for IAM Administrators
- Analysis: SEC Cybersecurity Proposals and Biden’s National Cybersecurity Strategy
- Intel Boasts Attack Surface Reduction With New 13th Gen Core vPro Platform
- Cisco Patches High-Severity Vulnerabilities in IOS Software
- ‘Nexus’ Android Trojan Targets 450 Financial Applications
- Tackling the Challenge of Actionable Intelligence Through Context
