Apple releases important Big Sur and iOS updates to fix WebKit vulnerability

Apple has issued a couple of important security updates for its desktop and mobile operating systems. The company has released iOS 14.4.1 and macOS 11.2.3, both of which are described as being "recommended for all users".

The reason for this is simple -- these are important updates that patch a memory corruption bug that could be exploited by malicious websites. This is in addition to the vulnerabilities that have already been patched in another iOS update last month.

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The vulnerability that is patched by the updates affects Safari's WebKit engine. The vulnerability means that a malicious website could be used to execute dangerous code on iPads, iPhones and Macs. Unlike the WebKit flaws that were fixed last month, it is not thought that the one addressed by these latest updates is being actively exploited -- but that's not to say you should delay getting updated.

Apple's description of the update is brief and to the point:

A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved validation.

If you're hoping for anything exciting from either of these updates, you're going to be disappointed. As you will probably have guessed from the small jump in version numbering, while these are both "important" updates, there is nothing to see besides the security fixes.

Image credit: Alberto Garcia Guillen / Shutterstock