Apple has disclosed the security details of its most recent iOS 16 update, confirming that it addresses the same vulnerabilities that were fixed in iOS 17.0.3 which was released approximately one week ago. Apple has verified that these critical vulnerabilities have already been exploited by malicious actors in real-world scenarios.

This update is aimed at safeguarding users who continue to use older devices like the iPhone X, which no longer supports iOS 17.

There is sometimes a period of time between when a patch is issued for the latest major operating system version and the preceding major OS versions. In this particular case, there was a six-day delta (October 4th for iOS 17.0.3 and October 10th for iOS 16.7.1). This delta can provide malicious actors with more time to analyse and exploit the vulnerability on older operating systems. Any delay in applying these security patches can significantly elevate the cybersecurity risks for both individual users and businesses as a whole, so it is important users update right away.