A new vulnerability has been lurking around iOS and macOS that can potentially harm almost all Apple devices, especially the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers.
Apple is currently rolling out a new software update for its desktop and mobile operating systems to solve possible hacking of the devices. The updates provide fixes to the vulnerability known as Broadpwn, which enables malicious hackers to "execute arbitrary code" and manipulate the device through Broadcom's Wi-Fi chips inserted in their main processors.
Nitay Artenstein, a security researcher at Exodus Intelligence, first discovered the bug. According to the National Vulnerability Database, a unit under the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Broadpwn is labeled 9.8 out 10 in severity level. In layman's term, this rate is translated as "critical".
Artenstein studied Broadpwn extensively. In his presentation preview for the Black Hat US 2017, he said the vulnerability "can be triggered remotely, without user interaction". Brands affected heavily by Broadpwn but not limited to the iPhone, HTC, LG, and Nexus devices.
Apple prompted the 10.3.3 patch on iOS and 10.12.6 on macOS Sierra. To update an iOS device, go to the Settings > General > Software Update. Click on it to start installing the patch. To update a macOS Sierra Mac, go to the App Store > Updates tab. The update should load automatically.
Early in July, millions of Android devices were infected by Broadpwn, which Google immediately fixed through a patch rollout.
