Apple has been in the news lately after it released the iOS 14.5 earlier this week which empowered the users to opt-out of the app tracking feature which collected user activity on the internet. It also recently released macOS Big Sur 11.3.1 and included certain security updates to fix WebKit issues. Now, Apple has released a new version of its Safari Browser that fixes malicious web content exploits.
HIGHLIGHTS
Apple released Safari 14.1 update on April 26 to fix WebKit vulnerabilities.
Apple Pulled back this update as it was causing random issues while browsing.
Apple re-released Safari 14.1 update fixing both WebKit and other random issues.
Apple disclosed only last week that a loophole had been observed in WebKit which can be exploited by people with malicious intent to run any arbitrary code on certain Apple devices without permission or knowledge of the user. This security breach was first fixed on iOS 14 and macOS Big Sur operating system and finally released an update for safari versions running on macOS Catalina and macOS Mojave. The iPhones and iPad models running iOS 12.5.1 were also fixed during the past week.
How to Update to Safari 14.1?
It is quite easy to get this update on your device by following these easy and fast steps:
Step 1: Launch System Preferences App on Mac.
Step 2: Access Software Update Menu.
Step 3: Your update will start automatically.
For your reference, you can note down the build number for Safari 14.1 is 15611.1.21.161.7 on macOS Catalina and 14611.1.21.161.7 on macOS Mojave.
Many users might not know that Safari 14.1 update was available on Apple servers since April 26 but that version received a lot of complaints and many issues were reported. The update was intended to resolve WebKit issues but rather caused issues with the smooth and flawless functioning of Safari and other Web Browsers installed on the system. The Apple Support Communities were flooded with complaints of failure to load pages and functionality breaks after updating the browser. Apple pulled out the update and then re-released Safari 14.1 after fixing all the issues.
Apple has now stated that this latest update will now fix not one but two issues in total. The first is the WebKit issue that consisted of an integer overflow error which enabled hackers to execute any code without the user’s permission. The second issue was related to a corrupt memory module that could also result in unauthorized code execution on the system. Apple stated that the first issue was fixed with input validation while the second issue was sorted by improving state management.
Apple urges its users to update their machines as soon as possible to escape any potential threats and code execution.