APPLE iPhone owners are being urged to check their handsets for a very important number.
If you don’t follow the advice, you could end up falling foul of a dangerous hack attack.
Apple has released security updates for its gadgets, including iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac.
In an official memo from cybersecurity giant Malwarebytes, expert Pieter Arntz urged users to install them as soon as possible.
On iPhone, you’ll want to be running version iOS 17.0.1 or later.
If that doesn’t mean anything to you, scroll down for a quick guide on how to check and update.
There are three flaws that were listed, including one that allowed dangerous web content to let crooks run their own malicious code on your device.
Worse still, Apple warned that crooks may have been exploiting these vulnerabilities before the update.
“It is not hard to see how these three new vulnerabilities could be used to compromise a device just by viewing specially crafted malicious web content,” Arntz warned.
“So it’s highly recommended to install these updates at your earliest convenience.”
The three vulnerabilities were spotted by Google‘s Maddie Stone and the University of Toronto’s Bill Marczak.
How to check your iPhone for the new update
To check your software, go to Settings > General > About and look for iOS Version.
You’ll want to see the following numbers
- iOS 16.7 and iPadOS 16.7 (on older models)
- iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1 (on newer models)
- watchOS 9.6.3 (on older models)
- watchOS 10.0.1 (on newer models)
- macOS Ventura 13.6 (on older models)
- macOS Monterey 12.7 (on newer models)
Lower numbers mean you’re at risk of being attacked by someone exploiting these vulnerabilities.
If you don’t have the right version, it’s easy to update.
Just go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Then simply install the latest update to get the best protections.
It’s easy to think of software updates as just a way to get new features.
But they also typically close dangerous security holes that hackers use to attack your devices.
So make sure you install the latest updates as soon as they’re available.
