Because it contains fixes for 39 vulnerabilities that serve as open avenues for hackers to access your smartphone, Apple is advising iPhone owners to download the most recent version of its operating system, iOS 15.6, as soon as possible.
The patches are for memory safety flaws, some that expose users to remote code execution attacks. While other vulnerabilities allow bad actors to track devices, terminate WiFi access and access sensitive data in the iCloud Photo Library.
You can download iOS or iPadOS 15.6 by going to Settings > General > Software Update.
Along with patching vulnerabilities, the new iOS 15.6 fixes flaws in the system like one that incorrectly shows users their storage was full or how a tab in Safari reverts to a previous page on its own.
There is also an issue that causes braille devices to slow or stop responding when navigating text in email is also sorted, Apple claims.
Apple notes that all iPhones that have operated smoothly on iOS 14 are capable of using iOS 15, which includes the iPhone 6s and any smartphones produced after, Forbes reports.
It is not clear how long the dozens of vulnerabilities have been plaguing devices as Apple says it ‘doesn’t disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available.’
However, the tech giant shared a list of all the features impacted, how they are vulnerable and how the issue was addressed.
The firm has not announced any of the issues were actively exploited like it did in May 2021 when its WebKit was found to be compromised.
This feature is a rendering engine that helps users get the most of the internet on devices.
The iOS 15.6 launch comes just a few months before Apple’s iOS 16 is set to be released – which typically happens in the fall.
The upcoming operating system was announced on June 6 at Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).
iOS 16 was touted as having ‘the biggest update ever’ to the lock screen that will make it easier to change lockscreen background photos and the color and design of display fonts.
Users can customize the lock screen by pressing and holding to bring up a selection of widgets, each showing a different photo, and swiping to the one they fancy.
With the new lockscreen, notifications have been moved to the bottom of the screen, meaning they no longer cover the entirety of the display.
They also now roll in from the bottom of the lock screen, and iPhone users can choose to hide them and look at them later.
Information displayed on the lockscreen, such as time and date, also appear behind the subject in a photo rather than in front – meaning display info won’t obscure the beloved lockscreen photo of your family member.
Another feature that is set for iOS 16 is the ability to bypass the annoying CAPTCHAs that make users prove they are in fact human and not a robot.
CAPTCHAs – that’s ‘completely automated public Turing test to tell computers and humans apart’ – are these are the tests that ask you to select objects from a group of pictures.
The tech giant is adding ‘automatic verification’ with its upcoming iOS 16, set to launch this fall, which automatically and privately verifies the device in use and its Apple ID account in the background.
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