Apple now releases important updates for iPhone and Mac. The new iOS 15.3.1 and macOS 12.2.1 software releases contain fixes for two very important issues. The iPhone’s security was compromised by a recently leaked WebKit exploit, and the MacBook’s irregular bluetooth connection drained its battery. While the update focuses on these two big issues, there are other changing and improvements in the new iOS and macOS updates as well.
The iPhone was recently found to have a flaw in the JavaScript of Safari’s browser’s WebKit implementation. It impacted the iPhone, the iPad, and the Mac since all three devices run Safari.
According to the patch notes for the new iOS 15.3.1 and macOS 12.2.1, Apple has improved the security of iPhone and Mac. Apple describes the impact of the vulnerability as follows: “Processing of maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution.” It also said it was aware of reports that the vulnerability could already be exploited and that it would be addressed through improved memory management.
Apart from the security enhancements for WebKit, the new software versions fix individual problems of the iPhone and the Mac. Several MacBook users reported that some bug in Bluetooth connectivity prevented the devices from sleeping properly, leading to an unexpected battery drain on them. Only the Intel-based MacBooks were impacted by this bug. Apple has fixed the issue and the patch is available as a part of the macOS 12.2.1 update.
“macOS 12.2.1 provides important security updates and fixes an issue for Intel-based Mac computers that may cause the battery to drain during sleep when connected to Bluetooth peripherals,” said Apple in the patch notes.
The iOS 15.3.1 update, on the other hand, fixes the WebKit flaw, as well as the issue that was probably causing Braille displays to stop responding. Again, this update does not bring any new features to the iPhone, so if you are waiting for the Tap to Pay feature, it may take a little more time.