iOS 16.5.1 Rolling Out For All. Here Is Why You Must Update Your iPhone Immediately

The security bugs that have been fixed in the latest iOS update had been used to hack iPhones in Russia.

Apple has started rolling out its latest software update, the iOS 16.5.1 for iPhone users. The iOS 16.51 brings in a number of features and also fixes two critical security flaws which may have been actively exploited. The security bugs that have been fixed in the latest update had been used to hack iPhones in Russia, says a report by The Washington Post. Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky had flagged off the security vulnerabilities and Apple thanked them for that. 

The iOS 16.5.1 update brings a fix for a vulnerability that could allow an app to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. As per the iPhone maker's support page, the iOS 16.5.1 upgrade fixes a vulnerability in the Kernel tracked as CVE-2023-32434 that could allow an attacker to execute code with Kernel privileges.

“Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7,” the tech giant has said.

How To Download iOS 16.5.1 On Your iPhones

Apple is rolling out the iOS 16‌‌‌‌.5.1 and iPadOS 16.5.1 for all users globally for eligible iPhone models and iPad models as an over-the-air (OTA) update. The latest updates can be downloaded by going to Settings > General > Software Update.

According to an independent security researcher named Sean Wright, the flaws patched in iOS 16.5.1 as “pretty severe,” adding that the vulnerabilities “could be chained together to allow a remote attacker potentially full control over a compromised device”, says a report by Forbes.

Meanwhile, Apple previewed its iOS 17 on the first day of its annual WWDC 2023 conference. And as widely expected, the new iOS iteration is a major release that upgrades the communications experience across Phone, FaceTime, and Messages. iOS 17 also brings the biggest change to Apple's virtual assistant Siri as its trigger phrase is becoming shorter to just "Siri" from "Hey Siri". This is similar to what Amazon has done with its smart assistant's trigger phrase which is now a shorter "Alexa".