Apple warns of arbitrary code execution zero-day being actively exploited on Macs

Apple has warned iPhone and Mac users it's aware of security bugs in its software that are being actively exploited. First off, the iGiant thanked Google for spotting CVE-2021-30869 in macOS Catalina. It's a nasty flaw, as it's in the XNU kernel at the heart of Apple's operating systems including macOS and iOS. As Apple's …

[Anonymous Coward]

Ever touch my iPod Classic

And there will be BIG trouble!

[DS999]

Having these 0 days is definitely not a good thing

But on the bright side Apple is continuing to support its stuff far longer than the competition. This iOS 12 update now makes a full EIGHT YEARS of support for the iPhone 5S, and counting.

[Brewster's Angle Grinder]

Re: Having these 0 days is definitely not a good thing

But wouldn't it be nicer if they provided iOS 14 for it?

[DS999]

Re: Having these 0 days is definitely not a good thing

Wow some people can find a negative in everything. At some point whether 1 year or 100 years, you have to cut off older devices from getting the newest OS versions. Otherwise you make more work for yourself supporting devices that are a lower and lower percentage of the installed base, and can't add features that may require greater CPU, RAM or flash resources than those devices have.

This allows owners of those devices to keep up on security patches and continue using them safely, without worrying that installing an update to keep their phone safe will make it sluggish or force them to delete apps/photos to make room for a larger OS image.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Having these 0 days is definitely not a good thing

Making bug free products is a lot of work too

[LybsterRoy]

Re: Having these 0 days is definitely not a good thing

The alternative view: Keep on supplying the newest OS on the older models and you don't have the time or resources to keep adding shiny that no-one really wants.

[GordonD]

Feels a bit click-baity

to build a story from a release note for an update to an older OS version, and not call that out.

MacOS usage by version is hard to come by, but I'm sure Simon knows that Catalina is not the most recent, soon to be current - 2, and probably represents less than 25% of active MacOS installations; so one has to wonder why this most pertinent of facts was not highlighted.

Similarly, as noted in previous comments, iOS 12 is far from recent, so this story should mention that iOS 12 and earlier represents maybe 7% of the installed base.

[DS999]

This is the same 0 day

That was announced Monday last week right before Apple's Tuesday iPhone 13 event. They took care of it on the products that get the most use first, then handled the older stuff the following week.

[pavel.petrman]

Last paragraph missing?

You know, the one about asking Apple for comment. I always read the last paragraph about Apple. A rare source of rock solid stability in these turbulent times.

[jollyboyspecial]

"And while you're letting Apple's machines patch themselves up, consider that the company appears not to have fixed a similar remote code execution flaw in the macOS Finder, despite third-party researchers trying to fix it."

This is pretty standard. Make a big fanfare about the stuff you are fixing because it's an easy fix in order to try to bury the news of the stuff that you're not fixing because it involves a bit of effort.

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Fscking hell I'm sticking to Windows XP

[Mahhn]

with the old free version of BlackIce firewall configured well, it wasn't to bad.