iPhone users, update to iOS 18.1.1 right now - Government warns of hacking

CERT-In is back with warnings regarding new vulnerabilities found in Apple products, including iPhone models not running the latest iOS 18.1.1.

iPhone users should update to iOS 18.1.1 immediately to avoid potential hacks. (AFP)

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, commonly known as CERT-In, operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. It frequently alerts users across the country about various vulnerabilities in products from manufacturers such as Apple and Google. The organisation is now back with warnings regarding new vulnerabilities found in Apple products, including iPhone models not running the latest iOS 18.1.1. Most of these vulnerabilities affect users with older versions of software such as iOS, iPadOS, or macOS. Therefore, the primary line of defence is to update your software. That being said, here are the software versions that are affected.

CERT-In States That The Following Operating System Versions Are Affected:

• Apple iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 18.1.1
• Apple iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 17.7.2
• Apple macOS versions prior to 15.1.1
• Apple Vision OS versions prior to 2.1.1
• Apple Safari versions prior to 18.1.1

If you are using a device running any of the software versions mentioned or older, you should immediately update your device to the latest available operating system. If your device has stopped receiving updates, you should consider upgrading to a device that supports the latest software to ensure you are protected.

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The organisation notes that these vulnerabilities, which have been reported in Apple products, could be exploited by an attacker to execute arbitrary code or perform XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) attacks on affected devices.

No Need To Worry Once You Update Your Device's Software

There is no cause for concern if you update your software. It is worth noting that Apple typically only publicly notifies users about a potential vulnerability once it has been fixed. These vulnerabilities have already been addressed, so if you download and install the latest available operating systems, whether on Mac, iPhone, or iPad, there is no need to worry.

Apple also provides a detailed change log on its support website, and this time, it mentions that these issues may have been exploited on Intel-based Mac systems. Furthermore, Apple has released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, which primarily include security fixes to address the vulnerabilities mentioned above.