Even though you’ve just installed iOS 14.5, you’re using the new operating system, right? -, it’s time to get back to the Settings app and receive a just released update from Apple that addresses a number of important iOS vulnerabilities. And while all security updates are critical, this update fixes two vulnerabilities that are actively exploited in the wild.
In other words, don’t wait. You will be tempted as it looks like a minor update and you need to use your iPhone or iPad for something else now, so maybe later. If you are, make sure you have Automatic Updates turned on Settings> General> Software update At least, you should really only take a few minutes to download and install the update now.
As Apple describes in its safety instructionsiOS 14.5.1 addresses two issues with WebKit that could allow an attacker to remotely execute code on your device if you visit a website that is set up to exploit the vulnerabilities. As for the full geek speak for what Apple fixed:
- A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management.
- An integer overflow was fixed with improved input validation.
While chances are you probably wouldn’t encounter such attacks, there is no reason to wait until you’ve patched your iOS version. The update is around 100MB, which shouldn’t take long to download over WiFi. (I wouldn’t waste my data on a cellular connection.) By the time I wrote this paragraph, my iPhone has already downloaded and started preparing for the update. The latter process takes about five minutes to chug its way on my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Of course, your personal results can vary.
G / O Media can receive a commission
Once it’s downloaded and processed, you need to tap on “Install now” to install the update. Your iPhone or iPad will restart itself and you can get started after another 5-7 minutes.
Overall, I would say that the entire update process took about 15 minutes. This includes downloading, preparing and installing the update. While this is a little more time than I expected, give it a try sometime during your day. Keep the update chugging while you’re in a work meeting, taking a toilet break, or warming up dinner.
