Apple’s iOS 17.2 update has arrived, along with a bunch of brilliant new iPhone features. But iOS 17.2 also comes with 12 new reasons to update your iPhone right now because it fixes a dozen security vulnerabilities, some of which are serious.
Apple doesn’t give much detail about what’s fixed in iOS 17.2, to give people as much time as possible to update their iPhones before attackers can get hold of the details. Among the security issues patched in iOS 17.2 are two flaws in WebKit, the engine that underpins Apple’s Safari browser. One of these, tracked as CVE-2023-42890, could allow an attacker to execute code, according to Apple’s support page.
The iOS 17.2 update also fixes an issue in the Kernel at the heart of the iPhone operating system that could see an app able to break out of its secure sandbox. Another notable fix in iOS 17.2 is two issues in ImageIO where processing an image could lead to code execution.
Sean Wright, head of application security at Featurespace, also singles out CVE-2023-45866—a Bluetooth-related vulnerability fixed in iOS 17.2 that allows an attacker with the right access to capture keystrokes. He points out that the WebKit and Kernel vulnerabilities “can be chained together to allow an attacker to be able to potentially have significant access to the device.”
iOS 17.2 Follows Emergency Update
The launch of iOS 17.2 comes less than two weeks after Apple issued iOS 17.1.2, an emergency update fixing two flaws being used in real-life attacks. Apple tends to leave its critical security fixes for these emergency releases in between big point updates such as iOS 17.2, to ensure iPhone users aren’t put off by any bugs that sometimes come with feature upgrades.
The good news about the issues fixed in iOS 17.2 is, there’s no indication that they are being used in attacks, says Wright. However, leaving holes open means more time to exploit them, so Wright advises updating your iPhone to iOS 17.2 “as soon as you can.”
More Reasons To Update To iOS 17.2
Aside from the security updates, another big reason to update to iOS 17.2 is it includes a new feature called Contact Key Verification—an update to iMessage that prevents attackers from reading or listening to your conversations if they have breached cloud servers.
Intended to help tackle increasing amounts of spyware impacting iPhones, Contact Key Verification is different from super-secure Lockdown Mode as it doesn’t affect the functionality of your iPhone. What’s not to like? Go to Settings > your name > Contact Key Verification, where you can toggle it to “on.”
Apple’s iOS 17.2 also comes with the long-anticipated Journal app, which you can lock with Face ID or Touch ID to ensure it’s private and secure.
Why You Should Update Your iPhone To iOS 17
Apple’s iOS 17 launched in the Fall, but many people are waiting to update to avoid any iPhone bugs. With this in mind, Apple has also launched iOS 16.7.3 to address the relevant security issues fixed in iOS 17.2. But Apple won’t do this forever—the iPhone maker will soon limit its iOS 16 updates to older devices.
Apple’s iOS 17.2 comes with important security and bug fixes and brilliant new features, making it an upgrade worth applying to your iPhone. So what are you waiting for? Go to your iPhone’s Settings > General > Software Update and download and install iOS 17.2 now.