Apple Users Need to Update iOS Now to Patch Serious Flaws

February has been a big month for security updates, with the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and Google releasing patches to fix serious vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, a number of enterprise bugs have been squashed by firms that include VMware, SAP, and Citrix. 

The flaws fixed during the month include several that were being used in real-life attacks, so it’s worth checking that your software is up to date.

Here’s everything you need to know about the security updates released this month. 

Apple iOS and iPadOS 16.3.1

Just weeks after the release of iOS 16.3, Apple issued iOS and iPadOS 16.3.1—an emergency patch to fix vulnerabilities that included a flaw in the browser engine WebKit that was already being used in attacks.

Tracked as CVE-2023-23529, the already exploited bug could lead to arbitrary code execution, Apple warned on its support page. “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the firm added. Another flaw patched in iOS 16.3.1 is in the Kernel at the heart of the iPhone operating system. The bug, which is tracked as CVE-2023-23514, could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code with Kernel privileges.

Later in the month, Apple documented another vulnerability fixed in iOS 16.3.1, CVE-2023-23524. Reported by David Benjamin, a software engineer at Google, the flaw could enable a denial of service attack via a maliciously crafted certificate.

Apple also released macOS Ventura 13.2.1, tvOS 16.3.2, and watchOS 9.3.1 during the month.

Microsoft 

In mid-February, Microsoft warned that its Patch Tuesday has fixed 76 security vulnerabilities, three of which are already being used in attacks. Seven of the flaws are marked as critical, according to Microsoft’s update guide.

Tracked as CVE-2023-21823, one of the most serious of the already exploited bugs in the Windows graphics component could allow an attacker to gain System privileges.

Another already exploited flaw, CVE-2023-21715, is a feature bypass issue in Microsoft Publisher, while CVE-2023-23376 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in Windows common log file system driver.

That’s a lot of zero-day flaws fixed in one release, so take it as a prompt to update your Microsoft-based systems as soon as possible.

Google Android 

Android’s February security update is here, fixing multiple vulnerabilities in devices running the tech giant’s smartphone software. The most severe of these issues is a security vulnerability in the Framework component that could lead to local escalation of privilege with no additional privileges needed, Google noted in an advisory. 

Among the issues fixed in the Framework, eight are rated as having a high impact. Meanwhile, Google has squashed six bugs in the Kernel, as well as flaws in the System, MediaTek, and Unisoc components.

During the month, Google patched multiple privilege escalation flaws, as well as information disclosure and denial of service vulnerabilities. The company also released a patch for three Pixel-specific security issues. The Android February patch is already available for Google’s Pixel devices, while Samsung has moved quickly to issue the update to users of its Galaxy Note 20 series.

Google Chrome 

Google has released Chrome 110 for its browser, fixing 15 security vulnerabilities, three of which are rated as having a high impact. Tracked as CVE-2023-0696, the first of these is a type confusion bug in the V8 JavaScript engine, Google wrote in a security advisory. 

Meanwhile, CVE-2023-0697 is a flaw that allows inappropriate implementation in full-screen mode, and CVE-2023-0698 is an out-of-bounds read flaw in WebRTC. Four medium-severity vulnerabilities include a use after free in GPU, a heap buffer overflow flaw in WebUI, and a type confusion vulnerability in Data Transfer. Two further flaws are rated as having a low impact.