Update July 11th, 2023 at 12:50pm ET: Apple acknowledged an issue with the below Rapid Security Response (RSR) update for iPhones, iPads and Macs, which introduced a bug in Safari that prevented some websites from displaying properly. The impacted RSRs are labelled as iOS 16.5.1(a), iPadOS 16.5.1(a) and macOS 13.4.1(a) and will be replaced with a new RSR sporting a ‘(b)’ suffix instead.
In a support document, Apple also shared steps to roll back the (a) RSR for users who don’t want to wait for the (b) release. On iPhones or iPads, head to Settings > About > iOS version > tap “Remove Security Response.”
On Mac, click the Apple menu > About this Mac > More Information > click the Info (i) button next to the version number under macOS > click “Remove and Restart.”
The original story follows below.
Apple dropped a new Rapid Security Response (RSR) update for iPhones, iPads and Macs with a fix for an actively exploited vulnerability.
RSR updates are intended to provide important security fixes without forcing people to install a full software update. Given that the flaw addressed in this RSR is actively being exploited, you should probably install the latest RSR as soon as possible.
The RSR is available for iPhones and iPads running iOS/iPadOS version 16.5.1 and for macOS Ventura 13.4.1. It can be installed through the typical software update process. Since these updates are faster than typical updates, the whole process only takes a few minutes.
This RSR addresses a WebKit vulnerability which, according to Apple’s release notes, could have allowed arbitrary code execution during the processing of web content.
Some users on the MacRumors forums have reported the RSR causes issues with some apps, like Facebook and Instagram. However, it’s not clear how widespread the issue currently is — those apps appear to work fine on my iPhone after installing the update. Your mileage may vary.
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