At the same time Apple was promoting its new streaming TV offerings Monday, it pushed a massive amount of security fixes along with its newest operating system — 51 to be exact.
Perhaps the most notable fix: Apple patched a flaw that could allow malicious applications to access the microphone on your iPhone and record you and those around you.
But that’s just one of the vulnerabilities Apple addressed in iOS 12.2.
The company also fixed a problem with the FaceTime app that prevented video chats from pausing when you left the app.
Another fix closed a loophole that allowed users to access sensitive information in the Messages app and websites visited through Safari to see information from their phone’s light and motion sensors.
Those are just a few of the most shocking security flaws. Others dealt with phone memory and SMS hacking. Some of the patches impact devices other than iPhones, such as laptops and iPads.
It’s not unusual for Apple to fix security issues in software updates, cybersecurity consultant Nick Merrill told CNN.
The iPhone’s previous operating system, iOS 12.1.4, was released in February after the discovery of a bug in FaceTime that allowed the camera and microphones of iPhones to be accessed without the user’s permission.
The fixes come ahead of Apple’s big push into content and entertainment. During its press event Monday, privacy was a buzzword for several of its new services.
The company said it would “maintain user privacy” when suggesting content for users of its News+ magazine subscription service and announced on stage that it will not collect data from its streaming game service Apple Arcade. The company also pledged that Goldman Sachs, which partnered with Apple on a credit card, wouldn’t share Apple cardholder’s data for marketing.
Apple’s stock closed down 1% after the announcement. Vague details about the credit card’s interest rate and the price of TV+ left investors unconvinced that they could make up for slowing iPhone sales.
