Security News

The latest raft of non-emergency Apple security updates are out, patching a total of 87 different CVE-rated software bugs across all Apple products and plaforms. With 87 noteworthy bugs in the mix, there are plenty of security issues to choose from, including several that are listed with a warning that the bug might "Lead to arbitrary code execution", or even that it might be exploitable "To execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges".

Here on Naked Security, we've been lamenting the mysterious nature of Apple's security updates for ages. In the sudo bug case, Apple did eventually come to the party, and updated its own products in September.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has added a new flaw to its catalog of vulnerabilities exploited in the wild, an Apple WebKit remote code execution bug used to target iPhones, iPads, and Macs. According to the binding operational directive issued by CISA in November, federal agencies are now required to patch their systems against this actively exploited vulnerability impacting iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices.

Apple has released security updates to fix a new zero-day vulnerability exploited in the wild by attackers to hack iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Successful exploitation of this bug allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on iPhones and iPads running vulnerable versions of iOS and iPadOS after processing maliciously crafted web content.

Apple Mac users running the Zoom meetings app are reporting that it's keeping their computer's microphone on when they aren't using it. Users began complaining about the issue after Monterrey was released late last year, and on December 27, Zoom Inc put out an update that was meant to address the bug, stating that version 5.9.1 "Resolved an issue regarding the microphone light indicator being triggered when not in a meeting."

Cloud directory specialist JumpCloud is moving into the crowded patch management market with an extension to its platform to automate patch updates. Companies such as Apple or Microsoft already have varying levels of patch management tools in their armoury.

The company's Microsoft 365 Defender Threat Intelligence Team dubbed the new malware family "UpdateAgent," charting its evolution from a barebones information stealer to a second-stage payload distributor as part of multiple attack waves observed in 2021. "The latest campaign saw the malware installing the evasive and persistent Adload adware, but UpdateAgent's ability to gain access to a device can theoretically be further leveraged to fetch other, potentially more dangerous payloads," the researchers said.

A researcher who showed Apple how its webcams can be hijacked via a universal cross-site scripting bug Safari bug has been awarded what is reportedly a record $100,500 bug bounty. The bug could be used by an adversary as part of an attack to gain full access to every website ever visited by the victim.

For the past couple of years, Apple has made plenty of claims that its browser is all about security. The problem is, like with so much of what they do, Apple forces the users into working with their apps the way they believe is best.

Since at least late August, attackers have been using flaws in macOS and iOS - including in-the-wild use of what was then a zero-day flaw - to install a backdoor on the Apple devices of users who visited Hong Kong-based media and pro-democracy sites. In other words, the threat actors threaded malware into the legitimate websites of "a media outlet and a prominent pro-democracy labor and political group" in Hong Kong, according to TAG. The victims' devices were inflicted with what was then a zero day, plus another exploit that used a previously patched vulnerability for macOS that was used to install a backdoor on their computers, according to TAG's report.