Govt issues high-severity warning for iPhone, iPad users! Safari browser at risk too

Cybersecurity watchdog Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued a warning for iPhone and iPad users, citing multiple vulnerabilities that might make the Apple devices defenceless against certain cyber threats. The warning was originally issued on March 15 and precedes another alert that has been issued for the Safari application which is present on a wide range of Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac and more.

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High severity alert for iPhone, iPad users

According to an advisory issued by CERT-In, multiple vulnerabilities have been identified in iPhone's iOS and iPad's iPadOS which “could allow an attacker to trigger denial-of-service (DoS) condition, execute arbitrary code, sensitive information disclosure and bypass security restriction on the targeted system.”

The advisory, numbered CIVN-2024-0090, highlights that these security vulnerabilities arise due to multiple issues. Researchers found improper validation in files such as Bluetooth, MediaRemote, Photos, Safari and WebKit component. Moreover, other issues such as privacy, buffer overflow, memory corruption, logic, lock screen and timing side channel also contributed to these vulnerabilities.

Which devices are affected?

As per the report, older iPhones and iPads running on versions prior to 16.7.6 such as iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus,iPhone X, iPad 5th generation, iPad Pro 9.7-inch and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st generation) might be at risk.

Moreover, newer devices running on iOS and iPadOS 17.4 may be at risk. This includes a vast majority of devices such as the iPhone 15 series, iPhone 14 series, iPad 10th generation and more.

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Safari at risk too

Alongside these vulnerabilities, CERT-In has issued another high-severity warning specifically for the Safari browser. As per the report, multiple vulnerabilities were found due to state issues, improper processing of web content and improper enforcement of content security policies. It affects Safari versions prior to version 17.4 and may allow an attacker to “bypass security restrictions, gain sensitive information or denial-of-service (DoS) condition on the targeted system”.

How to stay safe

Users are advised to update their iPhones and iPads to the latest version. Those running on older firmware which aren't compatible with the new updates might need to upgrade to newer devices to stay safe from such security threats.

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