Apple Releases iPhone Security Fix as Expert Urges Users to Update Their Devices Now

A woman uses her iPhone in a file photo. Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

Apple Inc. on Monday released updates to its iOS and MacOS operating systems that fix multiple security vulnerabilities and bugs.

The Cupertino, California-based firm said it released iOS and iPadOS 16.6 and MacOS 13.5 to fix a range of ”actively exploited“ security bugs, along with a number of other security fixes for problems that have been reported to Apple. As usual, Apple said it would not disclose or discuss the nature of the security flaws that are being fixed.

“For our customers’ protection, Apple doesn’t disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security updates page,” it said in its release notes Monday.

The update provided several fixes for kernel vulnerabilities, including one that could allow a program to modify a kernel state and may have been actively exploited in the wild. According to Apple, the bug is now patched on all of its platforms.

“Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1,” the company also said.

The updates also patched a vulnerability to WebKit, the engine that powers the Safari browser, that Apple also said could have been actively exploited.

Boris Larin, a security researcher with antivirus software maker Kaspersky, urged users on Monday to update their devices after the Apple fix was issued.

One of the bugs “is another kernel vulnerability that was used in the 0-click exploit chain. ... Update all your Apple devices!” he wrote on Twitter.

To update your iPhone or iPad, go to the device’s Settings app before going to General and tapping Software Update. It will then prompt the user to install the latest update, which is iOS or iPad 16.6.

To install the update on a Mac, click on System Settings, then click Software Update, and Download and Install. Users will have to follow the prompts before restarting their computer.

On Monday, Apple also released multiple security updates for older iPads, iPhones, and Mac computers. The macOS Big Sur 11.7.9 update and the macOS Monterey 12.6.8 update can be applied to a Mac that is running either older operating system. And the iOS and iPadOS 15.7.8 updates support certain older Apple devices, including the iPhone 6S, iPad Air 2, and the iPhone SE.

The update comes just two days before Apple is scheduled to shut down its My Photo Stream service on July 26.

That service uploads users’ most recent 1,000 photos to iCloud automatically for free and allows users to access the photos on any Apple device owned by the customer for 30 days. It already stopped working on June 26, according to Apple.

“The photos in My Photo Stream are already stored on at least one of your devices, so as long as you have the device with your originals, you won’t lose any photos as part of this process,” Apple says on its support page.

Apple, in the meantime, has offered a guide for users to maintain their access to the photos.