The majority of Apple users have mobile devices that can run iOS 15. However, there are still quite a few people with iPhones unable to upgrade to iOS 15. To keep those devices up to snuff security-wise while fixing a few bugs, Apple today released iOS 12.5.6.
September, 2021 was the last time iOS 12 saw an update. At that time, Apple fixed an issue that enabled malicious PDFs, web pages, and apps to execute code. The iOS 12.5.6 update addresses an exploit recently patched in iOS 15.
Apple occasionally updates older iPhones, iPads, and iPods that cannot update past iOS 12. These updates don’t change the usability or look and feel of the UI, but provide protection from exploits that have cropped up recently.
Apple’s security update website has the following information about iOS 12.5.6:
Available for: iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air, iPad mini 2, iPad mini 3, and iPod touch (6th generation)
Impact: Processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution. 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.
If you own one of the affected devices, an update notification is forthcoming. To install the update, launch the Settings app, tap on General, then select Software Update to install iOS 12.5.6
