Apple on Thursday released iOS and iPadOS 15.7.1, which contains several performance enhancements and security updates for the iPhone and iPad. The iOS 15.7.1 update comes after Apple released iOS and iPadOS 16.1 on Monday. Apple presumably delayed the release of the update after several beta testers reported problems with Face ID.
If you are running version 15 and are holding off on updating to iOS 16, we recommend installing the 15.7.1 update. According to the release notes, the update has 18 patches, including a zero-day flaw in the kernel that may have been actively exploited. Here is the complete list of security updates:
Apple Neural Engine
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: The issue was addressed with improved memory handling.
CVE-2022-32932: Mohamed Ghannam (@_simo36)
Audio
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: Parsing a maliciously crafted audio file may lead to disclosure of user information
Description: The issue was addressed with improved memory handling.
CVE-2022-42798: Anonymous working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
Backup
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to access iOS backups
Description: A permissions issue was addressed with additional restrictions.
CVE-2022-32929: Csaba Fitzl (@theevilbit) of Offensive Security
FaceTime
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A user may be able to view restricted content from the lock screen
Description: A lock screen issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2022-32935: Bistrit Dahal
Graphics Driver
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks.
CVE-2022-32939: Willy R. Vasquez of The University of Texas at Austin
Image Processing
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2022-32949: Tingting Yin of Tsinghua University
Kernel
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A memory corruption issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2022-32944: Tim Michaud (@TimGMichaud) of Moveworks.ai
Kernel
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A race condition was addressed with improved locking.
CVE-2022-42803: Xinru Chi of Pangu Lab, John Aakerblom (@jaakerblom)
Kernel
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app with root privileges may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks.
CVE-2022-32926: Tim Michaud (@TimGMichaud) of Moveworks.ai
Kernel
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Description: An out-of-bounds write issue was addressed with improved bounds checking.
CVE-2022-42827: an anonymous researcher
Kernel
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2022-42801: Ian Beer of Google Project Zero
Model I/O
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: Processing a maliciously crafted USD file may disclose memory contents
Description: The issue was addressed with improved memory handling.
CVE-2022-42810: Xingwei Lin (@xwlin_roy) and Yinyi Wu of Ant Security Light-Year Lab
ppp
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A buffer overflow may result in arbitrary code execution
Description: The issue was addressed with improved bounds checks.
CVE-2022-32941: an anonymous researcher
Safari
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: Visiting a maliciously crafted website may leak sensitive data
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved state management.
CVE-2022-42817: Mir Masood Ali, PhD student, University of Illinois at Chicago; Binoy Chitale, MS student, Stony Brook University; Mohammad Ghasemisharif, PhD Candidate, University of Illinois at Chicago; Chris Kanich, Associate Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago
WebKit
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may disclose internal states of the app
Description: A correctness issue in the JIT was addressed with improved checks.
WebKit Bugzilla: 242964
CVE-2022-32923: Wonyoung Jung (@nonetype_pwn) of KAIST Hacking LabWi-Fi
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: Joining a malicious Wi-Fi network may result in a denial-of-service of the Settings app
Description: The issue was addressed with improved memory handling.
CVE-2022-32927: Dr Hideaki Goto of Tohoku University, Japan
zlib
Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, iPad 5th generation and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A user may be able to cause unexpected app termination or arbitrary code execution
Description: This issue was addressed with improved checks.
CVE-2022-37434: Evgeny Legerov
CVE-2022-42800: Evgeny Legerov
To install the update, open the Settings app and tap on General, then Software Update, and your device will look for the update online. Once it appears, tap Download and Install to start the update, which will take several minutes. Your device will need to restart.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.