Apple says iOS 14.4 fixes three security bugs targeted by hackers

The company did not mention if this was part of a wider attack on Apple users

Apple has released iOS 14.4 with security fixes for three vulnerabilities, said to be under active attack by hackers. 

The tech firm said in its security update pages for iOS and iPadOS 14.4 that the three bugs affecting iPhones and iPads “may have been actively exploited”.

Apple has not yet spoken on what the vulnerabilities were or who might have fallen victim.

The company also failed to mention if the attack was targeted against a small subset of users or was a wider attack. The company did grant anonymity to the individual who submitted the bug.

Cybereason chief security officer Sam Curry commented: “Apple admitting to iPhone security vulnerabilities is about as rare as someone getting struck by lightning.

“So kudos for them for releasing iOS 14.4 with patches for the three identified bugs.

“What we won’t know for some time is how widespread the threat is. That information is reportedly forthcoming.

“I say to Apple, don’t stop there as transparency is extremely important because you are one of the largest companies in the world and tens of millions of people trust you to get trust right.

“Dig deeper into the current investigation and come up with new countermeasures and controls.

“There isn’t a big screen with green and red settings that flip from all good to all bad. As with most things in life, cyber doesn’t work that way.

“Also, keep in mind that history and the public will judge you quite harshly and probably unfairly.

“Security is a job of doing the best we can and then keep doing better. So keep going and err on the side of protecting users, data, privacy and fighting the good fight with the rest of the security community”