Apple releases iOS 14.5.1 for iPhone, iPadOS 14.5.1, macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 and watchOS 7.4.1: Why you should update immediately

The details about the update was provided by the tech giant in a statement.

Apple iOS 14.5.1: iPhone maker Apple has released iOS version 14.5.1 as well as iPadOS 14.5.1 in order to fix two security flaws in WebKit due to which attackers were able to execute a malicious code in devices in which the update was recently installed. The updates for Mac computers and Apple Watch devices also suffered from the same zero-day security vulnerabilities, and therefore, Cupertino has also released macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 and watchOS 7.4.1 updates. Meanwhile, the older models of iPad and iPhone have also received iOS 12.5.3 update in order to fix four security issues in the WebKit, of which two were zero-day flaws.

The details about the update was provided by the tech giant in a statement, as per which Cupertino announced that the iOS 14.5.1 and iPadOS 14.5.1 updates contain security fixes for two issues existing in the WebKit browser engine, which is used to render Web content in App Store, Mail, Safari as well as other apps. The company has listed the two vulnerabilities as CVE-2021-30663 and CVE-2021-30665, of which the former is an integer outflow problem and the latter is an issue of memory corruption. With the help of both of these flaws, attackers could execute a malicious code through specially crafted Web content.

Cupertino also stated that it was aware about the fact that both of these flaws could be actively exploited by the attackers, which is why it advised users who had updated their devices recently to update them to iOS and iPad OS version 14.5.1 as soon as possible.

Along with these vulnerabilities, the update also contains a fix for App Tracking Transparency prompts. This issue had been affecting some users who had previously disabled the option of Allowing Apps to Request to Track in their Settings, as some of them were not getting prompts even after re-enabling this option, as per Cupertino.

The updates have come merely a week after Apple released its much awaited iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5 macOS Big Sur 11.3, watchOS 7.4 as well as tvOS 14.5, and stopped signing iOS 14.4.2, meaning that users who have updated their devices to iOS 14.5 or iOS 14.5.1 would not be able to downgrade it to the previous version of the operating system.

To download and install the update on iPhone or iPad, the users of eligible devices would need to head to Settings and then go to the ‘General’ tab. There, they would find the Software Updates tab. In this tab, they would be able to see the latest software updates. For MacBook, Mac mini, iMac and other models of Mac, users would need to go to System Preferences and then to Software Update to get the update.