Update your iPhone, iPad RIGHT now! Apple releases critical iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1 updates

Recently discovered zero-day flaws in iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 put your iPhone and iPad at high risk. Here’s what you need to know.

Know more about the recent zero-day flaws discovered in iOS 16.4. (Unsplash)

Several zero-day flaws have been discovered in Apple's operating systems which put most of its devices at risk of exploitation. The Cupertino-based tech giant recently released its iOS 16.4 update with several new features and usage improvements. However, it also brought along several bugs which broke some features on iPhones. Moreover, zero-day vulnerabilities have been discovered in iOS 16.4, which attackers might have already exploited. To counter this, Apple has released an emergency security update titled iOS 16.4.1.

iPhone, iPad owners at risk

Although Apple devices are considered one of the safest devices in the market when it comes to cybersecurity, this recent discovery of vulnerabilities serves as a reminder that nothing in this world is 100 percent safe. Alongside iOS 16.4, zero-day flaws were also discovered in iPadOS 16.4.

One of these critical flaws is an IOSurfaceAccelerator out-of-bounds write issue which is tracked as CVE-2023-28206, according to Apple's latest security advisory. It can enable an app to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Another vulnerability is termed CVE-20-23-28205, which is a WebKit issue that allows maliciously crafted web content to execute arbitrary code.

Which devices are affected?

According to Apple, the list of affected devices is long and all the devices which received iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates are at risk.

How to protect your devices

Apple frequently releases updates that not only introduce new features but also enhance security measures and fix vulnerabilities. Therefore, if your iPhone or iPad is operating on the same firmware as mentioned earlier, it is important to update to the latest software version immediately.