CERT issues warning for iPhone 6, iPad Air, iPhone 5S users: Do THIS immediately

The CERT has issued a security warning for users of iPhone 6, iPhone 5S, iPad Air and few other devices.

Big security flaw discovered for users of iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 5S. (Unsplash)

iPhones are considered the safest and most secure devices on the market today, with immense focus on privacy and data protection. On top of that, Apple's ability to update and support these device for up to 6 years is an extraordinary achievement, encouraging people to use their devices for a long time. However, the phones from almost a decade ago are left unsupported and hackers often find a way to exploit flaws in these. And now, a major flaw has been discovered in some of the older iPhones and iPads, the most notable one being the iPhone 6.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), which is under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has revealed a worrying flaw in a couple of old Android devices. The flaw, if left unattended, could allow a hacker to execute arbitrary code on a targeted device. Note that this vulnerability will affect iOS versions before iOS 12. 5.7 on the following devices: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3, and iPod Touch (6th generation).

CERT warns old iPhone users

CERT says that this vulnerability is actively exploited on devices that are running version of iOS older than iOS 15. 1. Note that Apple has already released a new patch for the modern supported devices as part of the iOS 16. 3 patch that was announced a few days ago. Additionally, for the older devices, Apple has released iOS 12.5.7 patch. This update patch can be downloaded to secure these devices.

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Users still using the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 5S, iPad Air, iPad Mini 2, iPad Mini 3 and iPod Touch 6 can head over to Settings and go to the General tab. Under here, tap on Software Update and wait for the notification to appear. Enter your passcode to download the update and then install it.

Additionally, it is also advisable for such consumers to upgrade to a newer device considering they run on the newer software and are more secure. Those wanting the iPhone 6-like familiarity can opt for the iPhone SE 3rd Gen, which offers the same design with a better chipset, support for 5G, and a better battery life. Other than that, Apple also sells more modern devices such as the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.