Apple’s iOS 14.8.1 is finally here, heralding the arrival of a game-changing new iPhone security feature we’ve been waiting for since the launch of iOS 15. If you haven’t upgraded your iPhone to iOS 15 yet, iOS 14.8.1 is an important security update you should apply right now.
That’s because iOS 14.8.1 fixes 12 iPhone security vulnerabilities, some of which are serious. The issues addressed in iOS 14.8.1 include two kernel vulnerabilities that Apple said could allow an application to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. An issue with the Safari browser engine WebKit could allow a malicious website using Content Security Policy to leak information via redirect behavior.
According to Sean Wright, SME security lead at Immersive Labs, some of the vulnerabilities fixed in iOS 14.8.1 are “concerning.”
With this in mind, Wright recommends updating to iOS 14.8.1 as soon as you can. “Some of the vulnerabilities can be chained together and allow an attacker full access to the device—for example the kernel vulnerability which would give an attacker privileged access to your iPhone.”
None of the issues fixed in iOS 14.8.1 are known by Apple to have been exploited by attackers. However, since this is a security-only upgrade to iOS 14, it’s still important to update your iPhone as soon as possible.
In tandem, for those who have already upgraded to iOS 15, Apple has released iOS 15.1, addressing some of the security issues fixed in iOS 14.8.1.
iOS 14.8.1: What’s taken so long?
Apple said that once iOS 15 was launched, it would allow iPhone users to remain on iOS 14 if they wished to, while still offering security only upgrades.
Launched practically in tandem with iOS 15, it looked like iOS 14.8 was the start of this game-changing new way of updating iPhones. However confusion reigned after iOS 15 arrived along with its own security upgrades, some of which had not been addressed in iOS 14.8. Then came iOS 15.0.1, and iOS 15.0.2 with major security updates—leading many people to ask, where the heck is iOS 14.8.1?
Well, it’s here now, which means you don’t have to update to iOS 15 if you want to stay secure. It would help though, if the iOS 14 upgrades were a little more timely—at the minute, although you may have to suffer bugs, it’s probably more secure to be on iOS 15 and get the regular security updates that come with it.