Centre Issues "High Risk” Warning For Apple Users; Here Are The Precautions To Take
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in), an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Government of India, has issued a “high-risk” warning for Apple users with products such as iPhones, MacBooks, Vision Pro headsets, and iPads.
The warning issued by CERT-In highlights that multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in Apple products that could allow attackers to conduct malicious actions such as accessing sensitive information without authorization, bypassing security restrictions, executing arbitrary code, and more.
According to the agency, the vulnerabilities can impact Apple software and hardware, including Apple Safari versions preceding 17.4.1, Apple macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.6.6, Apple macOS Sonoma versions prior to 14.4.1, Apple VisionOS versions prior to 1.1.1, and Apple iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 16.7.7.
Users of the iPhone XS, iPad Pro 12.9-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad, iPad Air, and iPad Mini are susceptible to the risks if their devices are running iOS and iPadOS versions prior to 17.4.1.
Apple Vision Pro headset users should be careful and take note of the vulnerability in VisionOS versions prior to 1.1.1, advised the agency.
According to the advisory, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch, and iPad Pro 12.9-inch 1st generation users are at risk if their devices are not updated to iOs and iPadOS versions 16.7.7 or later.
The CERT-In agency has issued several precautions for users to take to reduce the risk of compromise.
Precautions to Take
- Avoid connecting to unsecured or public Wi-Fi networks to minimise the risk of unauthorised access.
- Download apps and software only from trusted and reputable sources, such as the Apple App Store, to prevent malware risks.
- Regularly back up important data to prevent losing data due to security breaches or system failures.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security against potential safety risks like credential compromises.
- Most importantly, make sure your Apple products, such as iOS, macOS, iPadOS, and VisionOS, are updated to the latest versions, which include security patches.
