{"id":94796,"date":"2019-03-27T13:00:31","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T20:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/securingtomorrow.mcafee.com\/?p=94796"},"modified":"2025-08-12T23:53:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-13T06:53:30","slug":"ios-security-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/ios-security-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"iOS Users: Update Your Software to Avoid Security Vulnerabilities"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Monday, Apple made some bold announcements at their keynote event, including new subscription offerings for news, television, video games, and a credit card service.\u00a0But while these exciting announcements were being made, the release of iOS 12.2 seemed to slip under the radar. This update contains 51 different security fixes<\/a> and impacts devices ranging from the iPhone 5s and later, the iPad Air, and even products running tvOS. These software patches cover a variety of bugs that cybercriminals could use to obtain effects like denial-of-service, overwrite\u00a0arbitrary files, or execute\u00a0malicious code.<\/p>\n

The iOS 12.2 update includes patches for vulnerabilities in core apps like Contacts, FaceTime, Mail, Messages, and more. According to security professional Alex Stamos<\/a>, most of the vulnerabilities were found in Webkit, the browser engine Apple uses in many of its products including Safari, Mail, and App Store. Among these vulnerabilities were memory corruption bugs, which could lead to arbitrary code execution. This type of attack allows malicious actors to run any command on the target system, potentially taking over the victim\u2019s files or allowing them to take over the victim\u2019s system remotely. To prevent arbitrary code execution attacks, Apple improved device memory handling, state, and management. These processes control and coordinate device computer memory in order to optimize overall system performance. Another issue patched by this update is the ability for a cybercriminal to bypass sandbox restrictions, which protect a device\u2019s critical infrastructure from suspicious code. To combat this, Apple issued an improvement to validation checks.<\/p>\n

Tips to Keep Your Devices Protected<\/h2>\n

While it can be easy to click the \u201cRemind Me Later\u201d option when you receive a software update notification, the security updates included in iOS 12.2 <\/a>should not be overlooked. To help keep your iOS devices protected and running smoothly, check out the following tips:<\/p>\n