80 reasons to update your Apple device this weekend
2 min readApple released updates to all of its operating systems earlier this week and if you haven’t yet updated your device, you should do it before the weekend’s up. It’s not just the new Journal app for iPhone or the Weather widgets in Sonoma—all seven updates are filled with critical security updates that will make your devices safer. Here’s everything Apple patched this week:
System: iOS and iPadOS
- Version: 17.2
- Security patches: 11
- Notable fixes: Find My (An app may be able to read sensitive location information); Siri (An attacker with physical access may be able to use Siri to access sensitive user data)
System: iOS and iPadOS
- Version: 16.7.3
- Security patches: 8
- Notable fixes: WebKit (Processing web content may disclose sensitive information. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1.)
System: macOS Sonoma
- Version: 14.2
- Security patches: 22
- Notable fixes: Kernel (An app may be able to break out of its sandbox); WebKit (Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution)
System: macOS Ventura
- Version: 13.6.3
- Security patches: 12
- Notable fixes: TCC (An app may be able to access protected user data); Vim (Opening a maliciously crafted file may lead to unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution)
System: macOS Monterey
- Version: 12.7.2
- Security patches: 10
- Notable fixes: CoreServices (A user may be able to cause unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution); ImageIO (Processing an image may lead to arbitrary code execution)
System: tvOS
- Version: 17.2
- Security patches: 7
- Notable fixes: WebKit (Processing web content may lead to arbitrary code execution; Processing an image may lead to a denial-of-service)
System: watchOS
- Version: 10.2
- Security fixes: 8
- Notable fixes: Accounts (An app may be able to access sensitive user data); ExtensionKit (An app may be able to access sensitive user data)
Additionally, Apple also patched Safari for macOS Monterey and Ventura with two WebKit fixes that were previously fixed in Sonoma in late November, bringing the grand total to 80 patches across all of its devices. Granted, many of them overlap, but you still need to update each device to protect against them all.
To update your iPhone or iPad, head over to the Settings app, select General, and then Software Update.
To update your Ventura or Sonoma Mac, launch the System Settings app, click General, and then Software Update.
To update your Monterey Mac, launch System Preferences, then select the Software Update pane.
To update your Apple TV, open Settings, then System, and Software Updates.
Finally, to update your Apple Watch, go to the Watch app on your iPhone, tap the My Watch tab, select General, then Software Update. You can also update right on your watch by going to the Settings app and tapping General, then Software Update. Your watch will need to be at least 50 percent charged to complete the update.