Dangerous Bug Detected in Apple and Google Devices – Update Your Software Now
Apple and Google have recently issued critical security patches for iOS and Android devices and Macintosh computers – including iPhones, iPads, iPods, Android phones and tablets, and Mac computers and laptops – to prevent a potential attack through a vulnerability in the Wi-Fi chips. This bug would have allowed hackers to invisibly hack into billions – yes, billions – of devices, as these chips are in every iPhone and most modern Android devices. Google and Apple have spent the past few weeks since the vulnerability was detected by security researcher Nitay Artenstein rushing to patch the bug. Security updates have been released, and if you update your device software, the bug will be patched on your device and mitigate the threat of this type of attack – so seriously, don’t delay on updating that software.
This vulnerability, called “Broadpwn,” is extremely dangerous. The National Vulnerability Database ranked it’s severity as a 9.8 out of 10, putting it in the “critical” category. The reason behind this score is because a hacker can compromise devices through a bug within Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips. If the attacker is within range of your device, he or she could hack into the device and even turn it into a rogue access point that could infect nearby phones, creating an exponential effect. Thankfully, the security patches put a stop to this kind of vulnerability; however, you must update your device to the current software version in order to be safe.
To make the update process even easier for you, we’ve collected how-tos for updating software on Apple and Android devices:
How to update the iOS software on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
How to update software on a Mac
How to update Android software
Questions or concerns on the security of your devices? Want us to come to your office and update your devices for you? Contact us and we would be happy to assist.
Sources:
https://www.wired.com/story/broadpwn-wi-fi-vulnerability-ios-android/