Apple have released a security update this week to patch two actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities. Both of these flaws affect Macs using the macOS Monterey operating system, iPhone 6s and later generations, and all models of the iPad Pro. Updates for the operating systems of these affected devices were released on 17th August. Users should update to macOS Monterey 12.5.1 for Macs, iOS 15.6.1 for iPhones, and iPadOS 15.6.1 for iPads in order to apply the new security patches that address these zero-day flaws. 

The first zero-day vulnerability addressed in these updates is tracked as CVE-2022-32894. This is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability that is present in the Kernel of the operating systems on all three affected devices. The kernel operates core components of the operating system, and therefore executes at high privilege in order to perform its function. This vulnerability enabled attackers to write outside the normal bounds of the memory buffer and execute arbitrary code with kernel level privileges. This would give them full control over the device and enable them to perform any command due to the privilege level their code is executed at.  

The second zero-day vulnerability that has been patched in this update is another out-of-bounds write issue. Tracked as CVE-2022-32893, an exploit of this vulnerability can similarly lead to attackers executing arbitrary code on the device. This flaw occurs in the WebKit engine, which is used by apps such as Safari to render web pages. Because of this it is possible for attackers to exploit this vulnerability remotely, by using a specifically designed malicious web page. When the user visits this web page, the attackers can execute their code on the vulnerable device.  

To keep devices secure, these actively exploited vulnerabilities need to be patched by applying the most recent software update to the device. Details about the latest security updates, and how to download them, is available on Apple’s website.