If you haven't updated your iPhone, iPad, or Mac recently, you will want to install the latest patches now, as Apple has released an emergency security update to address two new zero-day vulnerabilities.

As reported by BleepingComputer, these new zero-day vulnerabilities have already been exploited by hackers. However, Cupertino has not provided further details on how hackers are exploiting these vulnerabilities or which Apple users are currently being targeted.

Both of these zero-day (tracked as CVE-2023-42916 and CVE-2023-42917) were discovered in Apple's WebKit, which drives Safari and is also used in many of the company's apps for iOS, iPadOS and macOS discovered in the browser engine. [When exploited, these vulnerabilities allow attackers to access sensitive information stored on Apple devices through out-of-bounds read vulnerabilities or execute arbitrary code by exploiting memory corruption bugs using malicious web pages.

What to do: Both security flaws have been addressed in the iOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2, macOS Sonoma 14.1.2, and Safari 17.1.2 releases. However, it is up to you to update your Apple devices to remain safe from potential attacks.

The list of affected devices is very long, as WebKit is used on the best iPhones, the best MacBooks, and even the iPad.

According to an advisory released by Apple with its latest emergency security update, all iPhones from iPhone XS onward and Macs running MacOS Monterey, Ventura, and Sonoma are vulnerable.

The list of affected iPads is also quite long: iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, iPad mini 5th generation and later all need to be updated.

Like the recent Chrome zero-day that was patched yesterday, both of these new vulnerabilities were discovered and reported by Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG). As such, they could be used in spyware attacks or cyber attacks targeting high-profile individuals such as journalists and politicians.

When it comes to keeping iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices safe from hackers, the easiest way is to install the latest updates as soon as they become available.

While it may be annoying to constantly update your devices, taking just a few minutes to install the updates mentioned above can leave you vulnerable to hackers and even identity theft.

In addition to this, to stay safe, you should use the best Mac antivirus software on your Apple computer. iOS has no equivalent to Android antivirus apps due to Apple's own limitations, but Intego Mac Internet Security X9 and Intego Mac Premium Bundle X9 can scan iPhones and iPads for malware when connected to a Mac using a USB cable.

These new emergency security updates should be available for download and installation now. However, until a sufficient number of customers update their devices, it is unlikely that we will hear anything from Apple regarding these zero-day exploit attacks. But even then, Cupertino is unlikely to reveal how hackers are attacking its iPhones and Macs to avoid giving other cybercriminals ideas.