India’s CERT-IN Issues ‘High Severity’ Warning for Apple Vulnerabilitiesi

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN), operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has issued a ‘high severity’ warning to Apple users, alerting them to multiple vulnerabilities within the company’s product ecosystem. These vulnerabilities could potentially allow attackers to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or bypass security restrictions on targeted systems.

In a statement released by CERT-IN, it was revealed that these vulnerabilities stem from a certificate validation issue in the Security component, a kernel-related problem, and an error in the Webkit component. Attackers could exploit these weaknesses by sending specially crafted requests.

The affected software versions include:

1. Apple macOS Monterey versions prior to 12.7
2. Apple macOS Ventura versions prior to 13.6
3. Apple watchOS versions prior to 9.6.3
4. Apple watchOS versions prior to 10.0.1
5. Apple iOS versions prior to 16.7 and iPadOS versions prior to 16.7
6. Apple iOS versions prior to 17.0.1 and iPadOS versions prior to 17.0.1
7. Apple Safari versions prior to 16.6.1

To mitigate these risks, the government strongly recommends that users promptly install updates as recommended by Apple.

Apple had recently launched its latest operating system, iOS 17, on September 17, which was followed by reports of battery drain issues. In response, the tech giant swiftly released iOS 17.0.1 and iOS 17.0.2 to address these bugs.

Meanwhile, Apple’s newest iPhone 15 series made its debut in India, garnering significant attention. Initial sales figures indicated a 100% growth compared to the iPhone 14 series, driven by high demand for ‘made-in-India’ models. For the first time, Apple simultaneously made these iPhones available in India as in other global markets. Additionally, the iPhone 15 series proudly supports the ISRO-developed NavIC GPS system, marking a significant technological milestone.

Summary:

• CERT-IN warns Apple users of ‘high severity’ vulnerabilities in multiple products.
• Vulnerabilities include issues in Security component, Kernel, and Webkit.
• Affected software includes macOS, watchOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Safari.
• Users urged to promptly install Apple’s recommended updates.
• iOS 17.0.1 and iOS 17.0.2 released to address battery drain issues.
• iPhone 15 series debuts in India with strong sales, supporting ISRO’s NavIC GPS system.