On Monday, Apple made some bold announcements at their keynote event, including new subscription offerings for news, television, video games, and a credit card service. But while these exciting announcements were being made, the release of iOS 12.2 seemed to slip under the radar. This update contains 51 different security fixes and impacts devices ranging from the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad Air, and even products running tvOS. These software patches cover a variety of bugs that cybercriminals could use to obtain effects like denial-of-service, overwrite arbitrary files, or execute malicious code.
The iOS 12.2 update includes patches for vulnerabilities in core apps like Contacts, FaceTime, Mail, Messages, and more. According to security professional Alex Stamos, most of the vulnerabilities were found in Webkit, the browser engine Apple uses in many of its products including Safari, Mail, and App Store. Among these vulnerabilities were memory corruption bugs, which could lead to arbitrary code execution. This type of attack allows malicious actors to run any command on the target system, potentially taking over the victim’s files or allowing them to take over the victim’s system remotely. To prevent arbitrary code execution attacks, Apple improved device memory handling, state, and management. These processes control and coordinate device computer memory in order to optimize overall system performance. Another issue patched by this update is the ability for a cybercriminal to bypass sandbox restrictions, which protect a device’s critical infrastructure from suspicious code. To combat this, Apple issued an improvement to validation checks.
While it can be easy to click the “Remind Me Later” option when you receive a software update notification, the security updates included in iOS 12.2 should not be overlooked. To help keep your iOS devices protected and running smoothly, check out the following tips:
- Update your software. To update your device to iOS 12.2, go to your Settings, then to General, and then click Software Update. From there, you will be able to download and install the update and patch over 50 security holes.
- Turn on automatic updates. Turning on automatic updates helps shield you from exposure to threats brought on by software bugs and vulnerabilities. You can enable automatic updates in your Settings as well.
- Use a security solution. To add an extra layer of protection to all your devices, install a security solution like McAfee Total Protection. This will allow you to have an extra security weapon and help defend your devices from cyberthreats.
And, as always, to stay on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats, be sure to follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable? and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
Stay Updated
Follow us to stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats.
