In order to prevent hackers from taking complete control of your devices, Apple urges owners of Apple devices to urgently update to the most recent versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS which are iOS 15.6.1, iPadOS 15.6.1, and macOS 12.5.1.

According to Apple, the vulnerabilities “may have been actively exploited,” which means that any unpatched devices could be exposed to hacking.

The issues that may all be used by hackers have all been fixed by the updates. Through flaws in both the operating system’s internal workings and the program used to display web pages, WebKit, hackers can use both to execute code without consent.

According to their release notes, the latest upgrades do not feature any additional changes or security patches.

The update has not come to older operating systems, such as macOS Cataline and Big Sur. It is questionable if the flaw affects those systems or if it is just found in more recent operating systems because they often receive security patches but not new features.

Affected devices

The issues could impact any Apple devices that are running recent updates. Customers with iPhones 6S and later, iPads starting with the fifth generation or any iPad Pro, and Macs running the most recent update, Monterey, have been warned to take precautions.

However, it is always best to keep any device as updated as possible. Although it does not seem that the flaw impacts older devices, it is always best to make sure they are on the most latest version of the operating system as Apple does release security updates for operating systems that it is not actively developing.

How to update your Apple devices?

To update your Apple devices with the latest version, follow the simple instruction below:

• For iPhone and iPad:
  • Go to Settings > General, then tap Software Update.
  • If you see two software update options available, choose the one that you want to install.
  • Tap Install Now. If you see Download and Install instead, tap it to download the update, enter your passcode, then tap Install Now.
    • Configuring automatic updates on iPhone and iPad:
      • Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
      • Tap Automatic Updates, then turn on Download iOS Updates.
      • Turn on Install iOS Updates. Your device will automatically update to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. Some updates might need to be installed manually.
• For Mac:
  • Choose the Apple menu (simply Apple icon) > System Preferences, then click Software Update (simply Settings icon).
  • Click Software Update in the System Preferences window.
  • Software Update now checks for new software.
  • If Software Update finds new software, click Update Now or Upgrade Now to install. You might be asked to restart or enter an administrator password.
  • If Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, then no new software is currently available for your Mac model.
    • Configuring automatic updates:
      • Choose the Apple menu (simply Apple icon) > System Preferences, then click Software Update (simply Settings icon).
      • To automatically install macOS updates, select Automatically keep my Mac up to date.