CERT-IN says Apple iPhone, VisionPro headset, Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch have ‘multiple vulnerabilities’ in software

Those with Apple devices should check to see that they have the latest version of the software provided by the company, to keep their products secure

India’s CERT-IN flagged ‘multiple vulnerabilities’ in Apple software products [File] | Photo Credit: AP

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, or CERT-IN, has flagged multiple vulnerabilities in Apple software products and given them a severity rating of ‘High’ in an advisory dated August 2.

“Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Apple products which could allow an attacker to access sensitive information, execute arbitrary code, bypass security restrictions, cause denial of service (DOS) and perform spoofing attacks on the targeted system,” said CERT-IN in the advisory.

The following Apple software offerings have been affected, per the agency:

Apple iOS versions prior to 17.6 and iPadOS versions prior to 17.6

Apple iOS versions prior to 16.7.9 and iPadOS versions prior to 16.7.9

Apple macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.6 Apple macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.6.8

Apple macOS Monterey versions prior to 12.7.6

Apple watchOS versions prior to 10.6

Apple tvOS versions prior to 17.6

Apple visionOS versions prior to 1.3

Apple Safari versions prior to 17.6

Based on the information provided, Apple users with the Vision Pro headset, iPhone, iPad, Mac products, the smartwatch, streaming subscription, or the Safari browser should check what software/OS versions they are using and whether these have been flagged as vulnerable.

Per the agency, Apple has provided security updates that users should look up in order to upgrade their software and get better security coverage. These updates and the release notes can be found here.

A number of the latest updates and security responses were released on July 29, per Apple’s website.

“For the protection of our customers, Apple doesn’t disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are generally available,” noted Apple on its website.

Device users are recommended to frequently update their software or set up their devices to do so automatically, so that any vulnerabilities and security loopholes can be patched before a security exploit takes place.

It is best to be connected to the internet via Wi-Fi and have your phone on charge when carrying out major updates.

Published - August 05, 2024 10:59 am IST