Apple introduces iOS 17.7.1 update for iPhone with these security fixes

Apple has rolled out the iOS 17.7.1 update for users who have yet to upgrade to iOS 18, the company’s latest operating system (OS). While the update doesn’t bring any new features, it introduces crucial security fixes for issues such as sensitive kernel state leaks, modification of protected system files, and iframe sandbox policy violations. The rollout of this update coincides with the iOS 18.1 update that Apple released, which brings Apple Intelligence – its suite of artificial intelligence (AI).

iOS 17.7.1 iPhone Change Log Update

According to For Apple, the iOS 17.7.1 update is only available for iPhone models that have not been upgraded to iOS 18 or the latest iOS 18.1 software. It fixes a vulnerability called CVE-2024-44239, which Apple says could put an app at risk of leaking sensitive kernel state. It is reported to be an information disclosure issue, which has since been addressed with improved private data handling for log entries.

Additionally, CVE-2024-44269 posed a risk that a malicious app could use shortcuts to access restricted files due to a logic issue. An information disclosure issue was also reported in Siri, which could allow a sandboxed app to access sensitive user data in system logs. In WebKit, processing maliciously crafted web content could have prevented content security policy enforcement. The update fixes all these issues.

According to Apple, the iOS 17.7.1 update also fixes issues related to Accessibility, CoreText, Foundation, ImageIO, Managed Configuration, MobileBackup, and SceneKit. The update has been released for the following devices:

1. iPhone XS and later
2. iPadPro 13-inch
3. iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and higher
4. iPadPro 10.5-inch
5. iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later
6. iPad Air 3rd generation and higher
7. iPad 6th generation and later
8. iPad mini 5th generation and later