Apple Users Alerted: High-Risk Security Vulnerabilities Found

High-Risk Security Vulnerabilities in Apple Products

India's leading cybersecurity agency, the Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In), has issued a warning about significant vulnerabilities in various Apple products. The alert, released on September 19, identifies security risks across multiple Apple software platforms including iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, and visionOS.

Identified Vulnerabilities

CERT-In has highlighted that if these vulnerabilities are not addressed, they could potentially allow attackers to access sensitive information on these devices. Specifically, the following Apple products and software versions are at high risk:

• iOS and iPadOS (versions prior to 18 and 17.7)
• macOS (Sonoma, Ventura, Sequoia, versions prior to 14.7, 13.7, and 15 respectively)
• tvOS (versions prior to 18)
• watchOS (versions prior to 11)
• Safari (versions prior to 18)
• Xcode (versions prior to 16)
• visionOS (versions before version 2)

Potential Impacts

CERT-In has outlined potential impacts if the loopholes are not fixed. Users with iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 18 or 17.7 could face DoS attacks, information disclosure, and security restriction bypassing. Older versions of macOS may experience data manipulation, DoS, privilege elevation, and cross-site scripting. TvOS, watchOS products, and older Safari and Xcode versions could be vulnerable to spoofing and security restriction bypassing. Users of visionOS could face data manipulation, DoS attacks, and information leaks.

Urgent User Recommendations

In response to these concerns, CERT-In has urged all Apple users to install the latest software updates on their devices and to remain vigilant against any unauthorized activity. Furthermore, the agency has advised users to ensure that proper security measures are in place.

This warning follows the launch of the highly anticipated iPhone 16 series, underscoring its urgency. Apple has reportedly fixed these vulnerabilities in its latest software updates and is encouraging users to update their devices without delay.