Apple’s Latest Updates Include More Than 75 Security Patches for IPhone and Mac
It’s been a great week for Apple, and it’s only Tuesday. The company announced a new iMac with the M4 chip ; introduced the new Mac mini with the M4 and M4 Pro models , and with new operating system updates launched Apple Intelligence on compatible Macs, iPhones and iPads. But iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 weren’t just about Apple Intelligence: among other non-AI features , the updates also included fixes for dozens of security vulnerabilities across devices: 27 of them on iPhone and iPad, and 50 on Mac.
Apple doesn’t include security information in its general release notes for software updates, so these fixes tend to go unnoticed. However,the company posts online security notices shortly after updates are distributed to users. We can now see what was included in iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1, as well as macOS 15.1. While there are a large number of security fixes included in these updates (especially macOS 15.1), the good news is that none of these vulnerabilities are zero-day (security flaws discovered before the patch is ready), and none of them are known to have active feats in the wild. This means that at this time, users are not at significant risk if they use updates prior to iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1.
However, you should update your information as soon as possible – now that details about these vulnerabilities have become known, it is only a matter of time before attackers figure out how to exploit them.
What flaws did Apple fix?
A number of vulnerabilities caught my eye in macOS. Apps could potentially access information about your contacts, read sensitive location information through Find My, and leak sensitive kernel state, for example. If you downloaded a malicious image, it could result in a denial of service attack that overloads your Mac and makes it unavailable to you. If an attacker had physical access to your Mac, they could bypass the login window during a software update. Safari’s private browsing mode can also leak your browsing history.
In iOS and iPadOS, an attacker with physical access to your device can view sensitive information even if it is locked. This includes photos of contacts they may have accessed through the Siri flaw. A malicious application could run arbitrary shortcuts without your consent or transmit sensitive kernel state. And, as with macOS, Safari’s private browsing mode can leak your browsing history.
For a full list of fixes, see Apple’s release notes foriOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 ormacOS 15.1 .
These patches aren’t just for the latest Apple software updates. In addition, Apple has released security updates foriOS 17.7.1 and iPadOS 17.7.1 ,macOS Sonoma 14.7.1 andmacOS Ventura 13.7.1 . These updates are intended for users who do not want to update their devices to the latest version of Apple OS, as well as for users of older devices who cannot update. The updates contain many of the same security fixes as the latest OS releases, so even if you’re running an older version of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, you’ll be protected.
It’s not just about iPhone, iPad and Mac either: Apple has released updates forwatchOS 11.1 ,tvOS 18.1 andVisionOS 2.1 . If you have any of these devices, update them too.
Install the update to protect your iPhone, iPad, or Mac from these security vulnerabilities.
Again, Apple isn’t aware of any of these flaws being actively exploited at this time, but it’s still a good idea to fix them before an attacker discovers how to exploit them.
To update, open Settings (iPhone or iPad) or System Preferences (Mac), then choose General > Software Update . Allow this page to load, then follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the update.