Skip to main content

Update your iOS devices now to fix a new security flaw

update ios devices now fix new security flaw
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you own an iPhone, iPad touch, iPad or Apple TV, head into the Settings app at your earliest convenience: Apple has just pushed out a software update that fixes a fairly major security flaw in the mobile operating system.

According to the notes accompanying the update, the vulnerability allows hackers to “capture or modify data in sessions protected by SSL/TLS” — essentially, your information could be exposed if you’re on a dodgy Wi-Fi network and someone is trying to intercept your data. The new 7.0.6 and 6.1.6 updates fix the issue.

Security flaw or not, it’s always good practise to exercise caution whenever you’re connecting to a network that isn’t at your home or office. If you’re on a public network that anyone can connect to, you should only visit sites that use encrypted connections (i.e. starting with https rather than http). The bug unearthed in iOS means these encrypted connections can be hacked into as well as standard unsecured connections.

There could be more bad news on the way for Apple: researchers at security firm CrowdStrike say OS X could be affected too. The vulnerability means hackers could impersonate secured sites such as your webmail service or your bank and hoover up your login details. A fix for OS X is expected from Apple in the near future.

CrowdStrike has some straightforward advice for Apple users: “Update your Apple devices and systems as soon as possible to the latest available versions. Do not use untrusted networks (especially Wi-Fi) while traveling, until you can update the devices from a trusted network. On unpatched mobile and laptop devices, set the ‘Ask to Join Networks’ setting to OFF, which will prevent them from showing prompts to connect to untrusted networks.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
David Nield
Dave is a freelance journalist from Manchester in the north-west of England. He's been writing about technology since the…
How to use photo cutout to cut and paste images in iOS 17
The image background remover feature from iOS 16 being used on a photo of a dog.

The iPhone has so many clever and fun little features that it's easy to miss some of them. One of the most whimsical features to come along in recent years is the ability to lift the subject of a photo away from the background so you can use it elsewhere — whether that's sharing it in an email, pasting it into a photo editing app, or even turning it into an iMessage sticker in iOS 17.

What's especially fascinating about this is that it seems like such a simple thing to do — and Apple does make it really easy — but there's a ton of number crunching going on under the hood to make it happen. This means you'll need an iPhone with a reasonably modern processor, but the good news is that it doesn't have to be the latest and greatest iPhone 15 Pro. While the insanely powerful A17 Pro chip in Apple's flagship smartphone surely helps things along, this feature can be used on any iPhone with an A12 Bionic chip or later, which goes back to the 2018 iPhone XS and iPhone XR.

Read more
My iPhone’s keyboard is driving me crazy
Words displayed on an iPhone's screen in the Notes app, with the keyboard below them.

Abe, Ann, Anne, Anna, Ana, Ave, AB’s. These words are the bane of my life, as all too often my iPhone thinks I'm typing them instead of the word “and.” It happens shockingly often, to the point where I begin to think it’s doing it deliberately to troll me.

I’m an iOS keyboard fan, but it’s getting to the point where I’m going to have to make a big change unless Apple does something about it.
It’s always the word 'and'

Read more
How to get new emojis on your iPhone or Android device
Emoji reactions on Google Messages running on OnePlus 11.

Text messaging has quickly become the default form of communication on smartphones. Sure, you can give your buddy a call to update them on your plans for the weekend, but it's not quite as quick and streamlined as a simple text. And combined with the ever-growing library of emojis available on iPhone and Android, it's easier than ever to ensure your tone and true meaning are received loud and clear by your recipient.

Read more