New iPhone threat: Apple warns of attacks

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Tengrinews.kz - Apple has urged its smartphone users to urgently install the latest operating system update, according to Dailymail.

Apple has advised iPhone users to download the latest iOS update as soon as possible after the company discovered a serious security vulnerability. The company called it an "extremely sophisticated attack" that is exploiting a critical zero-day vulnerability.

A vulnerability called CVE-2025-24201 was discovered in the Webkit engine that powers the Safari browser and other browsers for iPhone and iPad. Apple recommends that all users urgently update their devices to iOS 18.3.2 to protect themselves from possible hacks.

What is the danger of the vulnerability in Apple devices

Hackers use the vulnerability as an open door, creating malicious websites that give them access to other smartphone functions, even outside the victim's web browser, after visiting fake pages. This is how attackers hack the device and control it. The tech giant warned that the issue could affect anyone with an iPhone XS or later.

Zero-day vulnerabilities are software weaknesses that their developers were unaware of and that they can only fix after the product is released to the market. In Apple’s case, the vulnerability was most likely used by hackers to attack specific people who had older versions of iOS (below 17.2).

What devices are affected by the vulnerability

Apple released iOS 17.2 in December 2023. The company has since moved to iOS 18, releasing several software updates for iPhones since its debut. So anyone still using 17.2 is already behind several software updates.

Apple also noted that a patch has been released for:

iPads, including the 13-inch iPad Pro;
iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later;
iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later;
iPad Air 3rd generation and later;
iPad 7th generation and later.

The vulnerability also poses a risk to iPad mini 5th generation and later, as well as Mac computers running macOS Sequoia and Apple Vision Pro.

How to avoid hacking by hackers

All device owners are advised to check the settings for the latest Apple software updates, including iOS 18.3.2, iPadOS 18.3.2, macOS Sequoia 15.3.2, visionOS 2.3.2, and Safari 18.3.1. This is the third such vulnerability that Apple has had to fix since the beginning of 2025.

The first was discovered and fixed by Apple in January, and the second was just a month ago, on February 10. What was different about the February vulnerability was that it allowed a hacker to physically disable USB Restricted Mode on a locked phone, meaning the criminal would still need access to the victim's device to exploit the issue.

In a recent interview, James Knight of DigitalWarfare.com said that regularly checking for software updates is one of the most important steps you can take to protect yourself from software issues and hackers.

Earlier, Apple has warned users about a potential iOS vulnerability that could allow attackers to access data from a locked device in USB Restricted Mode.