Apple Releases iOS 9.3.5 to Patch Critical Security Flaws

Apple has released the next update to iOS 9, labeled iOS 9.3.5, just a month after it launched iOS 9.3.4.

iOS 9.3.5 will likely be the last patch to the iOS 9 operating system before iOS 10’s debut. The update, which is immediately available over the air, introduces bug fixes, performance enhancements, and security improvements for you iPhones, iPads, and iPods.

What largely spurred this update were three zero-day security vulnerabilities that were brought to Apple’s attention by Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. The holes, which Apple fixed in 10 days, were exploited by an Israeli company called NSO Group to intercept calls and messages and track the whereabouts of individuals. Such zero-day flaws are immensely valuable and are used by intelligence agencies, governments, and companies to spy on individuals.

In this case, researchers at Citizen Lab were alerted to these flaws by a human rights activist in the UAE, Ahmed Mansoor, who had been the victim of an unsuccessful attempt to jailbreak his phone. The jailbreak would have infiltrated his phone’s messaging apps and granted intruders access to his microphone, camera, and GPS.

“We advise all of our customers to always download the latest version of iOS to protect themselves against potential security exploits,” said Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, according to The New York Times.

While iPhone users would be well-advised to download the patch, Mac World reports that the chances of an average user being targeted with such sophisticated exploits is minimal, as they are very expensive and reserved for high-value targets by governments and criminal organizations.

Let us know in the comments whether you’re going to update your iPhone right before the iOS 10 release.