IPHONE and Android users have been urged to update their devices or risk getting their data hacked.
July was a big month for tech giants as they released several security updates for their operating systems.
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APPLE
In July alone, Apple released two iPhone updates to tackle security flaws in Safari and iOS.
The company’s first update came in the form of a rapid security response (RSR) update for iOS 16.5.1 and macOS 13.4.1.
The updates aimed to tackle an actively exploited zero-day vulnerability tracked as CVE-2023-37450.
Zero days are flaws that have not yet been patched or fixed by software developers.
This means that they can be fully exploited by hackers and cybercriminals to steal your information or break into your device.
However, shortly after, Apple killed the software due to several errors it caused in Safari.
Therefore, the company rereleased the updates as macOS Ventura 13.4.1 (c), iOS 16.5.1 (c), and iPadOS 16.5.1 (c).
To update your iPhone, plug your device into power and connect to the internet with Wi-Fi.
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Go to Settings > General > tap Software Update. If you see an update, tap install now.
To update your macOS, open the Apple menu > System Preferences > click on Software update.
If Software Update finds a new update, click the button to install it.
ANDROID
Google has also released updates for Android, targeting dozens of security vulnerabilities.
And out of these, three of them “may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” per Android.
The first of the already exploited vulnerabilities is CVE-2023-2136, a remote code execution (RCE) bug.
Remote code execution attacks allow a bad actor to input malicious code (or malware) onto a computer from a remote location.
In turn, this Malware could allow hackers to steal your sensitive information.
Other vulnerabilities include CVE-2023-26083, a bug targeting the Arm Mali GPU driver for Bifrost, Avalon, and Valhall chips.
Most Android devices should have already received these updates, but you can check just to be sure.
To update, open your device’s Settings app > System > System Update.
On this page, you should see your update status. Follow any steps on the screen.
