Apple iPhone, iPad and Mac devices are currently vulnerable to hacking and memory corruption attacks. Download the new iOS 14.7.1, iPadOS 14.71, and mac OS Big Sur 11.5.1 to patch up this security bug.
The tech giant has faced many zero-day vulnerabilities in these last few weeks. Aside from the notorious Pegasus spyware attack, Apple also confirmed being attacked with CVE-2021-30807. Apple kept the full details of this attack confidential, with a post explaining that: "For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available."
However, Apple described the attack as a memory corruption issue. It is also confirmed that the attack is "able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges." In less than a week after its release with the iOS 14.7, iPadOS 14.7, and mac OS Big Sur 14.7, the company has quickly released this new update to fix the security vulnerability.
How to Update iOS 14.7.1 to Prevent iPhone Data Breach
Apple generally updates its devices automatically. However, YouTuber zollotech posted these steps to help users check or update their device manually, should it be necessary.
Head to "Settings." After which, open "General" and "Software Updates." The update file, depending on the device, should be listed there.
If the update is not seen, users could also open their "Automatic Update" and toggle the feature off. Going back to "Software Update," users should now see the patch file.
The YouTuber also noted that the new update comes in different sizes, depending on the device. On the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the patch file size is124MB. However, on iPhone 7 (even though it was already installed with iOS 14.7), the patch file is 3.9GB.
To double-check if the update is successful, both for automatic and manual updates, users can open their "Settings," "General," and "About." The software version should be listed as "14.7.1."
Apple iPhone Security Update
Aside from the security fix, the Apple 14.7.1 updates should also fix a few bugs discovered on some devices. MacRumors highlighted that Apple Watch wearers recently found problems with their "Unlock with iPhone" feature. Specifically, users were unable to unlock their Apple Watch through Touch ID. This resulted to users (who forgot their Apple Watch passcodes) resetting their devices.
iOS 14.7.1, iPadOS 14.71, and mac OS Big Sur 11.5.1 are minor security updates that should not take more than a few minutes to install. It does not introduce many new features, so the overall performance remains similar with 14.7 updates.
Security Week reported that this recent attack was marked as the 13th zero-day vulnerability Apple had to fix in the year. Sometimes, Apple keeps the nature of these attacks confidential (similar to this scenario), so users need to be responsible for their own security.
Users are reminded to be vigilant since cyber-attacks and hacking attempts continue to escalate these last few months. iPhone owners are also recommended to follow the steps above and download the new patch as soon as possible to avoid being exploited through these security bugs.
