With Safari 15.6.1, Apple fixes a major WebKit security flaw.
Decidedly, it is not good to work in the software development team at Apple these last few weeks. For several days, flaws have been discovered in the operating systems of iPhones, iPads, and even Macs, making millions of users potential targets for hackers. The latest flaw to have been discovered also allowed them to control the device of users remotely and, of course, without their knowledge.
Lately, Safari, the browser made by Apple, was at the heart of concerns in Cupertino. Indeed, Apple engineers have discovered a major security flaw in WebKit. It is a software library that provides developers with the ability to easily integrate a web page rendering engine into their software.
A takeover of the machine
This flaw, according to Apple, would allow “the processing of malicious web content that could lead to arbitrary code execution”. Apple even indicates that it has received a report stating that this flaw has been actively exploited by hackers.
Concretely, this “bug” would allow hackers to access the bowels of the operating system and to benefit from all the necessary authorizations to take control of the machine remotely.
The flaw primarily affected Macs running macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina. However, macOS Monterey and iOS also received new updates (12.5.1 and 15.6.1), just in case. Caution is the mother of safety so install these updates as soon as possible.