iPhone security alert: Update to iOS 14.4 right now

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iPhone security alert: Update to iOS 14.iv right now

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Apple'south iOS 14.iv and iPadOS 14.4 were both released today (Jan. 26), and if you lot've got an Apple device running either iOS 14 or iPadOS xiv, y'all'd better update to them. They patch three security flaws that may exist actively and currently exploited by attackers unknown.

The Apple tree security bulletin says the updates fix a kernel flaw, designated CVE-2021-1782, and two flaws in the WebKit browser-rendering engine underpinning Safari, CVE-2021-1870 and CVE-2021-1871.

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In each case, Apple says it is "aware of a study that this issue may take been actively exploited" and credits the discovery of the flaw to "an bearding researcher."

The kernel flaw is the result of a race condition, in which a malicious command tries to beat an authorized control to the next footstep in a process, that permits top of privileges — in other words, giving an app more powers over the OS than it's meant to have.

The WebKit bugs are the result of "a logic outcome," which could hateful almost anything, and let "arbitrary code execution" — running malware — by a "remote attacker" over the internet.

So far, that's well-nigh all we know. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) listings for those bugs reveal nothing. We don't know who found them, who'due south using them, how they attack iPhones or what they practice when they succeed. Apple tree promises "additional details available soon."

If it's any condolement, most iOS security flaws that were revealed to have been exploited "in the wild" over the by few years take been used only in targeted attacks against specific persons or groups.

That's no help if you lot're famous, work in the defense or media industries or are a political dissident in a repressive country, and then patch those phones and iPads.

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Paul Wagenseil is a senior editor at Tom's Guide focused on security and privacy. He has also been a dishwasher, fry cook, long-booty driver, code monkey and video editor. He'southward been rooting around in the information-security space for more than than xv years at FoxNews.com, SecurityNewsDaily, TechNewsDaily and Tom'southward Guide, has presented talks at the ShmooCon, DerbyCon and BSides Las Vegas hacker conferences, shown upwardly in random Television receiver news spots and fifty-fifty moderated a console discussion at the CEDIA home-engineering science conference. Y'all can follow his rants on Twitter at @snd_wagenseil.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/ios14-4-security-update

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