Apple has said this week that Meltdown and Spectre, the two newly discovered processor security vulnerabilities, can impact almost all of its devices, including iPhones, iPad tablets, and even Mac computers. But the tech giant is also taking the opportunity to point out that risk can be reduced significantly if Apple users make sure to download the newest software updates, which come with fixes for one of the flaws.
There is some good news for owners of Apple Watch units though -- Apple has stated that its smartwatch device is not affected by either Meltdown or Spectre. The same does not go for users of Apple TVs however. According to the company, Apple TVs are indeed vulnerable but it did not share any details with regards to which specific models are at risk.
Apple did emphasize that to the best of its knowledge, it has not found any exploit that impacts its customers as of the moment. The iPhone maker further explained that in order for an intruder to be able to take full advantage of the vulnerabilities, there also needs to be another malicious mobile app installed on an iOS powered mobile device or Mac running computer or laptop. Thus, it is as important as ever for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to only download software from legitimate sources, like the App Store for instance, so that they will be out of danger.
It should be comforting for Apple users to know that the tech giant’s iOS 11.2, MacOS 10.13.2, and TVOS 11.2 already have measures put in place to protect against the Meltdown vulnerability. Apple is looking to roll out even more updates in the next few days, in order to deliver fixes for the Safari web browser to combat the Spectre flaw.
At the start of the new year, a new flaw was discovered in most modern chips, and this exploit could leave mobile devices and personal computers open to attack from hackers. Immediately since then, processor manufacturers, like Intel and Arm, have revealed that their chips are impacted by the vulnerabilities. Intel, a leading chip maker brand, happens to build processors for some of the most widely used computers in the world, including Apple’s Mac computers. As for Arm, its architecture is extensively integrated into almost every mobile chip out there, counting those used on iOS running smartphones and tablet devices. What makes things worse is that the flaws affect even those chip technology developed from over twenty years ago, broadening the potential scope of impacted users.
