Apple revealed critical security flaws for Macs, iPads, and iPhones that could potentially let attackers seize total control of their gadgets, according to a report by AP.
The tech giant confirmed the flaws after posting two security assessments on Wednesday, Aug. 17.
This illustration photo shows the Apple app store logo reflected from an iPhone onto the back of an iMac in Los Angeles, August 26, 2021. - Apple has agreed to loosen payment restrictions on its App Store, a major change announced in a settlement with small developers as the US technology giant faces growing scrutiny and legal challenges over its tightly controlled online marketplace. The change will allow small developers to inform their customers of alternative payment options beyond the official App Store.
Full Admin Access
According to Apple, the flaw may allow a hacker to have "full admin access" to the system. In a statement with AP, CEO of SocialProof Security Rachel Tobac said that the flaw could give hackers access to run any software in the name of the device's owner while posing as the owner of the device.
Users of the iPhone 6S and later versions, various iPad models, as well as the 5th generation and later, all iPad Pro models, iPad Air 2, and Mac computers running macOS Monterey, have been advised by security experts to update the affected devices.
Some iPod models are also impacted by the bug.
In the reports, Apple omitted to mention how, where, or by whom the flaws were found. It consistently referenced an unnamed researcher.
The logo of US tech giant Apple can be seen on an Apple store in Munich, southern Germany. - Apple said it planned to invest more than one billion euros ($1.2 billion) in Germany and open Europe's biggest research facility on mobile wireless semiconductors and software. The company said it would make Munich its "European Silicon Design Centre", creating hundreds of new jobs at a facility for 5G and wireless technologies.
Commercial Spyware
Commercial spyware providers, like Israel's NSO Group, are renowned for finding and exploiting these weaknesses in software that covertly infects users' smartphones, steals personal data, and continuously monitors the targets, according to AP.
The US Commerce Department has placed NSO Group on a "blacklist." Its spyware has reportedly been used against journalists, dissidents, and human rights campaigners in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America.
Will Strafach, a security expert, claimed that he had not seen any technical examination of the vulnerabilities that Apple has just patched.
According to Strafach, Apple had previously disclosed comparable security problems and highlighted that it was aware of reports that these system weaknesses were being exploited in about a dozen different instances.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
