Apple has released a series of security updates for the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch

iOS and iPadOS 1441, watchOS 732, and macOS Big Sur 1123 should all be available for download now Once downloaded, you may be notified that the updates for each platform are "critical" and "recommended for all users" iOS 145 may not be, but you should still update as soon as possible

The update itself does not specify what the problem is, but Apple's support site and the security information for each update clearly states that the patch addresses a memory corruption bug in WebKit This is the open source browser engine that powers Safari, so whether you have an iPhone 12 or an Apple Watch Series 6, most Apple devices are affected by this vulnerability

As Apple states in its security bulletin, "handling maliciously crafted web content," or basically visiting malicious sites, triggers this bug and allows attackers to execute malware on your device [The bug was discovered by security researchers at Microsoft and Google This is in contrast to a pair of previously discovered WebKit bugs that may have been actively exploited prior to the iOS 144 and iPadOS 144 security updates in January

Still, those with potentially affected devices should probably follow Apple's advice and install the fix when it is downloaded If your iOS device has not yet downloaded 1441, you can check for updates by opening the Settings menu, selecting General, and then Software Update

On macOS Big Sur, the same can be done by opening the System Preferences menu and selecting Software Update macOS Catalina or Mojave Mac users can update Safari to the new version 1403 update