Apple on Wednesday released macOS Ventura 13.4.1, an update that includes a couple of critical zero-day security patches. The release notes merely state that the update includes “important security fixes and is recommended for all users.”
It’s unclear whether this update includes any other fixes, but Apple has recently promised that a fix would be coming to correct a storage issue with the new Mac Pro. According to the security notes, the update includes the same two security patches as the iOS 16.5.1 update:
Kernel
- Impact: An app may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.
- Description: An integer overflow was addressed with improved input validation.
- CVE-2023-32434: Georgy Kucherin (@kucher1n), Leonid Bezvershenko (@bzvr_), and Boris Larin (@oct0xor) of Kaspersky
WebKit
- 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: A type confusion issue was addressed with improved checks.
- CVE-2023-32439: an anonymous researcher
While the details for kernel patch include an issue that has been exploited on iPhones, it’s still important to apply the fix in macOS. So it’s a good idea to install the update as soon as possible. For older Macs, there are also updates to macOS Monterey (12.6.7) and macOS Big Sur (11.7.8) that address the kernel issue.
How to install macOS Ventura 13.4.1
An internet connection is required to install the update, and the Mac needs to restart. To install macOS Ventura 13.4.1:
- Click on the Apple menu and select System Settings.
- Select General in the left sidebar.
- Select Software Update in the main section of the window.
- The Mac will check online for any available updates. If the update is available, a description will appear. Click on the Update Now button to start the installation. The update will download to your Mac and the installer will run. The Mac will need to restart to complete the installation.
Check out our macOS Ventura guide for more information. Also, Apple has similar security patches for the iPhone and iPad.
