It seems that summer is off to a hot start, at least when it comes to online security. Major tech giants Apple, Google, and Microsoft recently released critical security updates to patch vulnerabilities in their software products.
Starting with Apple, this past Tuesday, Apple released patches to fix over 139 vulnerabilities that impact both iOS and macOS. Several of these were what is known as “zero-day” vulnerabilities, meaning that these vulnerabilities were actively exploited before they were patched. The release contained multiple updates to web browsers, including Safari and Google Chrome, and for Apple Mail, Beats headphones, Apple Watch and Apple TV software.
The next day, Google released a flurry of security fixes for its Chrome browser as part of its Chrome 82 stable release. A total of 25 individual vulnerabilities were addressed in this update, including four zero-day vulnerabilities, which reportedly were ready for exploit. As with Apple, the vulnerabilities affected browser components in Chrome, as well as extensions and web applications.
Microsoft also released multiple security updates this week, addressing over sixty individual vulnerabilities. While none of these vulnerabilities were being actively exploited before the patch was released, some of the vulnerabilities had been reported as being potentially “wormable,” meaning that they could be used to spread malware or ransomware across the web.
Given the severity of the vulnerabilities addressed by all three companies this week, we recommend updating your software immediately to ensure that your devices remain secure. This is especially important given the fact that bad actors are actively looking for vulnerabilities and, in some cases, have already begun exploiting them. As always, though, make sure you only use secure and reputable sources for any software patches.
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