Govt warns Apple Watch users of security flaws; here is how to fix

Madhu Balaji Updated - July 27, 2022 at 10:40 AM.

Update your Apple Watch to eliminate vulnerabilities

Update Apple Watches running on watchOS 8.6 and older versions | Photo Credit: Brendan McDermid

Apple has rolled out the watchOS 8.7 update for its watch users. This is the sixth major update to watchOS 8 operating system launched in September 2021. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), an agency under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has flagged multiple vulnerabilities in Apple watchOS versions prior to 8.7. 

According to CERT-In, vulnerabilities in the Apple Watch include buffer overflow of the AppleAVD component, an authorisation issue in the Apple Mobile File Integrity (AMFI) component, an out-of-bounds writing in audio and issue in the WebKit and ICU components. “Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code and bypass security restrictions on the targeted system,” CERT-In added.

Nevertheless, Apple has already released a software update on July 20, 2022, that fixes the vulnerabilities. Users of Apple Watch Series 3 and above can eliminate these vulnerabilities by installing necessary security patches with the latest WatchOS 8.7 software.

How to update your Apple Watch

Step 1: Ensure that the Apple Watch is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Step 2: Open the Settings app.

Step 3: Tap ‘Software Update’ under General settings.

Step 4: Download and launch if there is a new software update available.

Published on July 27, 2022 05:10

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