It’s only been three months since Apple launched iOS 17 to iPhones worldwide, but the company has already released several new security updates since then to keep potential issues at bay. It has now announced iOS 17.1.2 that aims to tackle dreaded zero day threats that put your personal data at risk.
iOS 17.1.2 is an update available now to all iPhones released in 2018 or later, dating back to the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. To get the update, head to the Settings app, then tap General and then Software Update to find the download waiting for you.
iPhone users have been waiting patiently for iOS 17.2, a bigger feature update expected soon that will debut the new Apple Journal app exclusively for iPhones (it won’t come to iPad or Mac yet) that allows people to keep a digital journal with diary entries, photos, location tags, and more. Smaller updates such as iOS 17.1.2 are usually just to quash malicious online threats, which is the case here – so they are just as important to install straight away.
According to Apple’s release notes, the update fixes two potential issues with WebKit, the system via which apps can display web pages within the apps themselves. Apple described one threat: “Processing web content may disclose sensitive information. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1.”
A second fix was for a similar problem.
“These latest OS updates, which address bugs in Apple’s WebKit, show that attackers continue to focus on exploiting the framework that downloads and presents web-based content,” said Michael Covington, VP of Strategy at Jamf.
“Though these patches validate that Apple devices are not immune to cyber threats, the patching process is helping to reduce the attack surface. Now that the patches are issued, it is up to users, and organisations that utilise Apple devices for work, to update their devices and monitor for compliance to ensure that all critical devices are no longer vulnerable as soon as possible.”
