{"id":84131,"date":"2025-02-12T15:17:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-12T15:17:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/apple-2\/ios-18-3-1-and-ipados-18-3-1-patch-second-apple-zero-day-of-2025\/"},"modified":"2025-02-12T15:17:17","modified_gmt":"2025-02-12T15:17:17","slug":"ios-18-3-1-and-ipados-18-3-1-patch-second-apple-zero-day-of-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=84131","title":{"rendered":"iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1 patch second Apple zero-day of 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Security & Privacy<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n Posted on
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\n Joshua Long<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n

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On Monday, February 10, Apple released urgent security updates for iOS and iPadOS. The updates address a single \u201cactively exploited\u201d (i.e. in-the-wild, or zero-day) vulnerability.<\/p>\n

Apple also released updates for macOS, watchOS, and visionOS. Let\u2019s take a look at what we know\u2014and what we don\u2019t know\u2014about these updates.<\/p>\n

What Apple patched in iOS 18.3.1, iPadOS 18.3.1, and iPadOS 17.7.5<\/h3>\n

Available for: <\/strong>All supported iPads capable of running iPadOS 18 or iPadOS 17<\/p>\n

In these updates, Apple addressed a single vulnerability:<\/p>\n

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What is USB Restricted Mode?<\/h3>\n

Apple introduced USB Restricted Mode as a security feature in iOS 11.4.1<\/a>; it\u2019s included in all later versions of iOS and iPadOS, as well. USB Restricted Mode prevents locked devices from leaking data to any accessories connected to the USB-C or Lightning port.<\/p>\n

In other words, for any accessory (that does more than charging) to work with your iPhone or iPad, your device needs to be unlocked at the time you connect it.<\/p>\n

This helps prevent, for example, hacker tools like Grayshift\u2019s GrayKey<\/a> from being able to break into a locked device. Such hacker tools are mostly available to government and law enforcement agencies, but it\u2019s possible for them to fall into the wrong hands.<\/p>\n

What other operating systems did Apple update?<\/h3>\n

Apple released other operating system updates on Monday, too, as follows:<\/p>\n

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  • macOS Sequoia 15.3.1<\/li>\n
  • macOS Sonoma 14.7.4<\/li>\n
  • macOS Ventura 13.7.4<\/li>\n
  • watchOS 11.3.1<\/li>\n
  • visionOS 2.3.1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Strangely, Apple has not made it clear what these updates contain.<\/p>\n

    The company says<\/a> generically that the other updates provide \u201cimportant security fixes\u201d and are \u201crecommended for all users.\u201d However, Apple\u2019s security releases<\/a> page says that each of these updates \u201chas no published CVE entries.\u201d<\/p>\n

    CVE stands for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures. Apple assigns CVE numbers to most vulnerabilities in its products. This is useful to researchers and IT administrators; they can track whether a specific vulnerability exists across multiple products.<\/p>\n

    So if this round of updates doesn\u2019t address any CVE-numbered vulnerabilities, why does Apple say the updates contain \u201cimportant security fixes\u201d? Perhaps Apple addressed other security issues\u2014which Apple deemed too insignificant to justify assigning a CVE.<\/p>\n

    Or, perhaps more likely, Apple just copied and pasted boilerplate text, but didn\u2019t actually make security improvements. If anything else had changed, one might expect Apple to note some \u201cAdditional recognitions\u201d in its iOS and iPadOS security release notes. Because of commonalities between the code base of each OS, the absence of this section from the iOS and iPadOS security notes seems to imply a copy-paste job in the general release notes for each of this week\u2019s Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro operating system updates.<\/p>\n

    What Apple didn\u2019t patch: tvOS and audioOS<\/h3>\n

    Notably absent<\/a> from this week\u2019s round of updates were Apple TV\u2019s tvOS, and HomePod Software (also known as audioOS).<\/p>\n

    How to install Apple security updates<\/h3>\n

    For macOS updates<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    If you haven\u2019t yet upgraded to macOS Sequoia<\/strong>, be sure to first update your critical software. For example, run Intego\u2019s NetUpdate utility and install all available updates, and then check for updates for all other software that you use regularly. Next, check for macOS updates by going to System Settings<\/strong> > General<\/strong> > Software Update<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    If you have any trouble getting the macOS update to show up, either press \u2318R at the Software Update screen, or type in the Terminal softwareupdate -l<\/code> (that\u2019s a lowercase L) and press Return\/Enter, then check System Settings > General > Software Update again.<\/p>\n

    Note that Apple only ever fully patches the latest macOS version (currently, that\u2019s macOS Sequoia)<\/strong>; older macOS versions only get a subset of those patches and remain vulnerable. Therefore, staying on the latest macOS version is critically important for maintaining your security and privacy. For more information, see our article, \u201cWhen does an old Mac become unsafe to use?<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    For other Apple OS updates<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    Users of iPhone or iPad<\/strong> can open the Settings app<\/strong> and choose General<\/strong> > Software Update<\/strong> to update iOS or iPadOS on their devices. (This is called an \u201cover the air\u201d or OTA update.) Alternatively, you can connect your device to your Mac, click on the device name in a Finder window sidebar, and check for updates there; or, if you use a Windows PC, you can use the Apple Devices app<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    Similarly, users of Apple Vision Pro<\/strong>\u00a0can open the Settings app<\/strong> and choose General<\/strong> > Software Update<\/strong> to update visionOS.<\/p>\n

    To update watchOS on your Apple Watch<\/strong>, the process is a bit more complicated. First, update your iPhone to the latest iOS version. Next, ensure that both your iPhone and Apple Watch are on the same Wi-Fi network. Your Apple Watch also needs to have at least a 50% charge. Then open the Watch app on your iPhone and tap General > Software Update.<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s wise to back up before updating<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    Whenever you\u2019re preparing to update macOS, iOS, or iPadOS, it\u2019s a good idea to always back up your data<\/strong> before installing any updates. This gives you a restore point if something does not go as planned. See our related article on how to check your macOS backups to ensure they work correctly<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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    How to Verify Your Backups are Working Properly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n