Apple's security response team has pushed out important security updates to fix flaws in the iOS and macOS ecosystems, warning of risks of data leakage, sandbox escapes, and code execution attacks.
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The company immediately drew attention to the iOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 patches, warning of flaws in the kernel, WebKit, AppleMobileFileIntegrity, passwords, and ImageIO.
The updates also fix a critical security flaw in libexpat, an open-source software utility built into Apple software. The flaw, labeled CVE-2024-45490, could allow a remote attacker to cause an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution, Apple warned in an advisory.
According to public documentation, the iOS 18.2 update addresses a pair of bugs in AppleMobileFileIntegrity that allow malicious apps to bypass protections and access sensitive user data.
Apple also pushed security updates for several kernel bugs that allow attackers to create writable memory maps that should be read-only or let applications leak sensitive kernel state information.
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As usual, the patches address security vulnerabilities in the WebKit browser engine, including issues that could cause process errors or lead to memory corruption when processing malicious web content.
Apple also pushed a security update to the Passwords component to fix a bug that allows attackers in a privileged network position to alter network traffic.
In the new release of macOS Sequoia 15.2, Apple fixed dozens of flaws and addressed a bug in IOMobileFrameBuffer that allows arbitrary code execution attacks in the DCP firmware.
The company also sent out security updates for watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
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Security updates are a vital factor in protecting security and preventing threats and risks. Through security updates, we are informed about the latest threats, vulnerabilities and precautions we need to take. Security updates allow us to prepare and effectively deal with threats, providing us with the necessary knowledge and awareness to maintain our security.
Source: securityweek
