iOS 14.7.1 and macOS Big Sur 11.5.1 Patch Security Vulnerability That May Have Been Actively Exploited - MacRumors
Skip to Content

iOS 14.7.1 and macOS Big Sur 11.5.1 Patch Security Vulnerability That May Have Been Actively Exploited

Apple today released unexpected iOS 14.7.1 and iPadOS 14.7.1 updates to the public, and according to a newly released support document, the software addresses a serious security vulnerability that may have been exploited in the wild.

General iOS 14
Apple says that an application may have been able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges due to a memory corruption issue. "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited," reads the document.

The vulnerability has been addressed with improved memory handling, and because this is a security issue that may have affected some users, all iPhone and iPad users should update to iOS 14.7.1 and iPadOS 14.7.1 as soon as possible. The same vulnerability has also been addressed in the macOS Big Sur 11.5.1 update.

The iOS 14.7.1 update also fixes a bug that could prevent Touch ID iPhones from unlocking an Apple Watch.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple's Next Era Begins September 1

Thursday May 7, 2026 10:36 am PDT by
Apple recently announced that Tim Cook will be stepping down as CEO later this year, after 15 years of leading the company. Effective September 1, Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus will become the company's next CEO, while Cook will become executive chairman of Apple's board of directors. In his new role, Apple said Cook will assist with "certain aspects" of the company,...
Instagram Feature 2

PSA: Instagram Encrypted Messaging Ends on Friday, May 8

Tuesday May 5, 2026 8:24 am PDT by
Instagram will remove end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users from May 8, 2026. When the date comes around, Meta will potentially be able to see the contents of all messages between users on the social media platform. Encrypting messages has been an optional feature in Instagram since 2023, but in March of this year the social media platform quietly updated a help page to say ...
Apple Event Logo

Apple Just Released a New Accessory

Monday May 4, 2026 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today released a new Pride Edition Sport Loop for the Apple Watch. The band features a rainbow design with 11 colors of woven nylon yarns. The new Pride Edition Sport Loop is available to order now on Apple.com and in the Apple Store app in 40mm, 42mm, and 46mm sizes, and it will be available at Apple Store locations starting later this week. In the U.S., the band costs $49. There...

Top Rated Comments

adampk17 Avatar
63 months ago

Another reason why to use a mac....this one...updates every few months...to improve your device, not to crack it like my win10 device
Not to disagree with you about liking updates but Microsoft does update Windows 10 every month, sometimes more often. They aren't exactly slacking either.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dadiy Avatar
63 months ago
Why the secrecy on this one. Pegasus patched but they don’t want to admit it?
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
63 months ago

Glad Apple is staying on top of security.
So much so that Pegasus was a thing and seemingly for a very long time.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Localcelebrity Avatar
63 months ago

Why the secrecy on this one. Pegasus patched but they don’t want to admit it?
Probably because they can’t be sure they’ve patched all the ways in, only the ones they know about.

Also, Apple would definitely like to avoid increased media scrutiny by corroborating anything related to Pegasus, especially considering how few people were actually impacted, they don’t want to add to the hysteria.

Lastly, the less information they can give hackers as to how they patch things, the better.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️ Avatar
63 months ago
Love the security updates. Apple is actively monitoring everything. All the bugs and Malware.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
63 months ago

Not to disagree with you about liking updates but Microsoft does update Windows 10 every month, sometimes more often. They aren't exactly slacking either.
And Microsoft offers a much longer support life for Windows than Apple does for macOS too.

Windows 7 came out in 2009. Extended support ended Jan. 14, 2020.

Windows 10 came out in 2015 and support is scheduled to end in 2025.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)