New Delhi: iPhone 16 users and Apple loyalists, beware! The Indian government has issued a critical security warning for Apple device users, including the latest iPhone 16 models. The alert, issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) on April 4, 2025, highlights multiple high-risk vulnerabilities that could leave your iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices exposed to malware attacks and hacking attempts.
While Apple has already rolled out emergency security updates, experts are urging users to immediately update their devices to avoid potential exploitation.
Why This Alert Matters
CERT-In, India’s nodal cybersecurity agency, flagged several severe vulnerabilities in Apple’s ecosystem caused by a range of issues such as:
- Type confusion errors
- Use-after-free bugs
- Out-of-bounds read and write vulnerabilities
- Buffer overflows
- Improper input validation
- Parsing and path handling flaws
These issues, if left unpatched, could allow remote attackers to gain unauthorized access, execute arbitrary code, or crash affected devices.
Devices and Software Affected
The vulnerabilities impact a broad range of Apple products, including but not limited to:
- iPhone 16 series and earlier models
- iPad models running iPadOS versions prior to 18.4, 17.7.6, and 15.8.4
- Mac devices running macOS Sequoia before 15.4, Sonoma before 14.7.5, and Ventura before 13.7.5
- Apple Watch and Apple TV with outdated versions of watchOS and tvOS
- Safari browser versions prior to 18.4
- Xcode versions earlier than 16.3
- visionOS versions before 2.4
If your device is running any of these outdated versions, it is at high risk and needs an urgent update.
How to Stay Safe: Update Your Apple Devices Now
Follow these simple steps to secure your Apple device:
Step 1: Unlock your device and open the Settings app.
Step 2: Scroll down and tap General.
Step 3: Select Software Update.
Step 4: If an update is available, tap Download and Install, then follow the prompts to complete the process.
Security experts recommend enabling automatic updates to stay ahead of future vulnerabilities.
Apple has not officially commented on the CERT-In warning, but their emergency patch rollout reflects the seriousness of the issue. For now, keeping your device updated is your best line of defense against cyber threats.
