Install iOS 15.7.4, iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4 on your old devices to fix vulnerabilities

These bug-fix updates patch dozes of vulnerabilities on older iPhones, iPads and Macs, some of which have been exploited in the wild.

• What’s happening? Apple has released iOS 15.7.4, iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4 for older iPhones, iPads and Macs.
• Why care? Apple occasionally updates older devices unsupported by the latest software to fix bugs, and these releases patch nearly two dozen vulnerabilities.
• What to do? Download and install these updates as soon as possible.

What fixes does iOS 15.7.4 include?

iOS and iPadOS 15.7.4 arrived on March 27, 2023, alongside iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4. Both iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4 are only available on older devices, including the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, first-generation iPhone SE, iPad Air 2, fourth-generation iPad mini and seventh-generation iPod touch.

For starters, iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4 fix several privacy issues discovered in Accessibility, the Find My app and Identity Services that could let an attacker read sensitive location data or access information about your contacts.

A bug in the Calendar app where importing a maliciously crafted calendar invitation may exfiltrate user information has also been fixed. Patches are available for other discovered issues, including a Camera app vulnerability that might allow any sandboxed app to determine which app currently uses the camera.

Apple also discovered a bug, now squished, with its Shortcuts app that could allow a shortcut to use sensitive data with specific actions without prompting the user. Apple fixed this one with additional permissions checks.

The updates fix two bugs discovered in WebKit, Safari’s rendering engine.

One could let a website track sensitive user information, and the other exploits a bug where processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited,” the company notes.

iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4 also include fixes for vulnerabilities in several parts of the operating system that could result in unexpected system termination or permit rogue apps to write to the kernel memory or disclose process memory.

Lastly, bugs in the Image I/O subsystem where processing a maliciously crafted image file may lead to unexpected behavior are also resolved.

Fixes in macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4

Apple has updated its older macOS operating systems for people who use older Macs that aren’t compatible with macOS Ventura. Both macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4 include more than two dozen fixes for much of the same vulnerabilities that Apple fixed on older devices with iOS and iPadOS 15.7.4, plus those present in iOS 16 and Apple’s other current operating systems.

Vulnerabilities in WebKit are not addressed in macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4. Instead, Apple has provided them separately via the Safari 16.4 update, which can only be downloaded using Software Update on your Mac.

Big fixes in iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3

Almost all of the fixes mentioned above are also available on newer devices with iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3 updates. If you’ve already installed them on your devices, you have nothing to worry about.

iOS 16.4 also includes other fixes, including three patches for the Neural engine, Apple’s neural processing unit dedicated to accelerating machine learning tasks in a power-efficient manner without using the CPU or GPU. Those seem important because they resolve issues where an app running on this coprocessor could break out of its sandbox or execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges.

The security content of iOS 15.7.4, iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4

Read Apple’s support documents linked below for a detailed overview of all the patches and bug fixes included in the iOS 15.7.4, iPadOS 15.7.4, macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4 updates for older iPhones, iPads and Macs.

• About the security content of iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4
• About the security content of macOS Big Sur 11.7.5
• About the security content of macOS Ventura 13.3
• About the security content of Safari 16.4

The security content of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3

For detailed information about the security content of iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4, tvOS 16.4, watchOS 9.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3, be sure to peruse Apple’s support documents linked below:

• About the security content of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4
• About the security content of tvOS 16.4
• About the security content of watchOS 9.4
• About the security content of macOS Ventura 13.3

How to install iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4

Use Software Update to download and install iOS 15.7.4 and iPadOS 15.7.4.

1. Open the Settings app on your device.
2. Choose General from the root list.
3. Select Software Update.
4. Choose Install or Download and Install below the listed update.

Keep the device connected to Wi-Fi and power when installing updates.

How to install macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4

You can install macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 and macOS Monterey 12.6.4 on your Mac through the Software Update feature available in System Preferences.

1. Click the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.
2. Click the Software Update icon in the System Preferences window.
3. Hit the button to install macOS Big Sur 11.7.5 or macOS Monterey 12.6.4.

If your older Mac doesn’t have the Software Update feature, install them by launching the App Store app, then clicking the Updates tab.