New iOS 12.5.4 Security Update Released for Older iPhones and iPads

Apple may be looking ahead to iOS 15 and the iPhone 13, but the company still takes care of its older devices.

Though it’s not adding new features to older versions of iOS, Apple is committed to providing mission-critical updates. Such is the case with iOS 12.5.4, a security update Apple released today for its older iPhone and iPad models.

According to its release notes, the update patches two vulnerabilities that may have been exploited in the wild and a third vulnerability that has been detected but not exploited.

Two of these vulnerabilities involve Webkit and already may have been exploited. The third vulnerability is a certificate vulnerability that allowed for code execution but was not compromised.

Security
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted certificate may lead to arbitrary code execution
Description: A memory corruption issue in the ASN.1 decoder was addressed by removing the vulnerable code.
CVE-2021-30737: xerub

WebKit
Impact: 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.
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2021-30761: an anonymous researcher

WebKit
Impact: 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.
Description: A use after free issue was addressed with improved memory management.
CVE-2021-30762: an anonymous researcher

Apple Release Notes

Apple released this update for the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch (6th generation).

Owners of these devices can install the updates by opening the Settings app, tapping General, and then selecting Software Update. This will begin the process of downloading the update and then installing it.

To complete the installation, device owners may be required to connect their iPhone or iPad to a power source.