Update your iOS (and other Devices) – TODAY!
Cisco Talos senior security researcher Tyler Bohan found the critical bug in ImageIO, which is used to handle image data. An attacker could create an exploit – a little program that takes advantage of vulnerabilities – and send it via a multimedia message (MMS) inside a TIFF image (similar to a JPEG or GIF). Once the message was received, the hack would launch automatically. The user would have no chance of detecting the attack, which would begin to write code beyond the normal permitted boundaries of the iPhone’s texting tool.
Cisco alerted Apple some time ago, and by the time you read this, there are patches available to install for all iOS devices.
Even if you have not got an iPhone or iPad (or other iOS device) – there are other Apple security updates released recently which you might also need to be aware of:
Apple security updates
| Name and information link | Available for | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| iCloud for Windows 5.2.1 | Windows 7 and later | 18 July 2016 |
| iTunes 12.4.2 for Windows | Windows 7 and later | 18 July 2016 |
| Safari 9.1.2 | OS X Mavericks v10.9.5, OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, and OS X El Capitan v10.11.6 | 18 July 2016 |
| tvOS 9.2.2 | Apple TV (4th generation) | 18 July 2016 |
| watchOS 2.2.2 | Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, Apple Watch Edition, and Apple Watch Hermes | 18 July 2016 |
| iOS 9.3.3 | iPhone 4s and later, iPod touch (5th generation) and later, iPad 2 and later | 18 July 2016 |
| OS X El Capitan v10.11.6 and Security Update 2016-004 | OS X Mavericks v10.9.5, OS X Yosemite v10.10.5, and OS X El Capitan v10.11 and later | 18 July 2016 |
Details on all 43 flaws addressed in 9.3.3 can be found on Apple’s advisory. The tech giant also put out security advisories for iTunes on Windows, Safari, tvOS, watchOS and OS X El Capitan.
Our Advice: Update your Apple Devices NOW – ALL OF THEM. Got iTunes on Windows? Update that too – and NOW!