Apple sends iOS 12.5.6 to older iPhone, iPad models to fix a serious vulnerability
If you own an iPhone older than the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, you are cut off from iOS support by Apple. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Apple wants your phone to be attacked by bad actors looking to take advantage of a vulnerability to take control of your handset. But what can Apple do for those older models that don't support iOS 15 but need to patch some security holes?
The answer is simple. According to Cult of Mac, yesterday Apple pushed out iOS 12.5.6 for handsets dating back to 2013's iPhone 5s. Those of you with an iPhone still getting support from Apple recently received iOS 15.6.1 to close the same dangerous vulnerability. Last month we told you that if exploited by those with malicious intent, these attackers could impersonate device owners and run any software that is in their names.
Those with older iPhone models no longer supported by Apple, such as the pictured iPhone 5s, might receive iOS 12.5.6
The issue was discovered in WebKit, the browser engine used by Apple for Safari. With this vulnerability, a hacker could create a webpage allowing him or her to run code even without the user's permission. Unfortunately, it seems that the security hole has already been used by hackers. "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited," said the tech giant.
The devices receiving iOS 12.5.6 include the iPhone 5S, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch (6th generation). To update go to Settings > General > Software Update. Don't ignore the update if indeed it shows up on your older iPhone model. After all, it is a significant security issue that has been taken advantage of by cybercriminals.
Apple has updated iOS 12 before during a similar situation. Last September, Apple released iOS 12.5.5 which patched a flaw that an attacker could exploit by creating malicious PDF files. Like the current vulnerability, at the time it was thought that this flaw had been exploited by attackers.
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