Apple Releases iOS 9.3.5 With Fix for Three Critical Vulnerabilities Exploited by Hacking Group

[MacRumors]

Apple today released an iOS 9.3.5 update for the iOS 9 operating system, almost a month after releasing iOS 9.3.4 and a few weeks before we expect to see the public release of iOS 10, currently in beta testing.

iOS 9.3.5 is available immediately to all devices running iOS 9 via an over-the-air update.

iOS 9.3.5 is likely to be the last update to the iOS 9 operating system, introducing final bug fixes, security improvements, and performance optimizations before iOS 9 is retired in favor of iOS 10. iOS 9.3.4, the update prior to iOS 9.3.5, included a critical security fix patching the Pangu iOS 9.3.3 jailbreak exploit. iOS 9.3.5 features major security fixes for three zero-day exploits and should be downloaded by all iOS users right away.

According to The New York Times the three security vulnerabilities patched in the update were exploited by surveillance software created by NSO Group to jailbreak an iPhone and intercept communications.

In an overview of the exploits, security firm Lookout says NSO Group's spyware software, nicknamed "Pegasus," was highly sophisticated, installing itself through a link sent via a text message.

The exploit was initially discovered on August 11 after human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor received a suspicious link and sent it to Citizen Lab and Lookout. Had Mansoor clicked the link, it would have jailbroken his iPhone and installed "sophisticated malware" able to intercept phone calls, text messages, FaceTime calls, email, and more.

Pegasus is the most advanced attack Lookout has seen because it is customizable, can track a range of things, and uses strong encryption to avoid detection. Lookout believes "Pegasus" had been in the wild for quite some time before it was discovered, with some evidence dating back to iOS 7.

Citizen Lab and Lookout informed Apple of the vulnerabilities and the company worked quickly to implement a fix, patching the exploits in just 10 days.

Article Link: Apple Releases iOS 9.3.5 With Fix for Three Critical Vulnerabilities Exploited by Hacking Group

 

[Sirious]

How the meeting for this release went:
"Quick! Distract them from that social network rumour!"

 

[smacrumon]

Is it odd that Apple would release so many updates to iOS over a year? We're at iOS 9.3.5 now.

Think back to iOS 7, we got to 7.1.2.

 

[Michael Goff]

Is it odd that Apple would release so many updates to iOS over a year? We're at iOS 9.3.5 now.

Think back to iOS 7, we got to 7.1.2.

I like the new Apple that doesn't just sit and hope. I like it that they seem to be pushing forward with more fixes.

 

[C DM]

Is it odd that Apple would release so many updates to iOS over a year? We're at iOS 9.3.5 now.

Think back to iOS 7, we got to 7.1.2.

Odd that they are actually working on things and releasing more updates rather than no updates? Certainly had a good pattern of those with iOS 8.

 

[asv56kx3088]

Is it odd that Apple would release so many updates to iOS over a year? We're at iOS 9.3.5 now.

Think back to iOS 7, we got to 7.1.2.

I think we got to 4.3.5 at iOS 4 days.

 

[S.B.G]

I'm a bit surprised to see another update so soon before iOS 10 is released.

 

[WB2Colorado]

Wow! Wasn't expecting this!

 

[smacrumon]

I like the new Apple that doesn't just sit and hope. I like it that they seem to be pushing forward with more fixes.

Hmmm. Really? "pushing forward with more fixes"? What about push forward with a release that doesn't require fixes when released. Isn't this like "a ship with a hole in the bottom, leaking water, and [the] job is to get the ship pointed in the right direction"?

 

[cale508]

Not surprising, they are leaving iOS 9 as secured as possible for devices not making it into iOS 10.

 

[Dave245]

no invites for september 7th event but an iOS 9 update?

Calm down it will arrive, as I've said there is the rest of today (it's early in Cupertino) also there's tomorrow.

 

[C DM]

Hmmm. Really? "pushing forward with more fixes"? What about push forward with a release that doesn't require fixes when released. Isn't this like "a ship with a hole in the bottom, leaking water, and [the] job is to get the ship pointed in the right direction"?

There's the imaginary world, and then there's reality. Whether we like it or not we all live in the latter (with essentially all that comes with it and applies to it).

 

[vertsix]

"That's right. Stay in our walled garden."

 

[639051]

Hmmm. Really? "pushing forward with more fixes"? What about push forward with a release that doesn't require fixes when released. Isn't this like "a ship with a hole in the bottom, leaking water, and [the] job is to get the ship pointed in the right direction"?

Going to throw this out there. Since it is obviously so simple of a task in the minds of many here at Macrumors, why don't you all band together and DO IT YOURSELF? What a novel concept, right? Since it obviously requires just rolling up the sleeves and digging in it should be doable by anyone!

Seriously, you can put up or shut up as far as I am concerned. Reducing the an extremely complex issue to "they should just do it!!!!" is asinine.

 

[SeattleMoose]

I like the new Apple that doesn't just sit and hope. I like it that they seem to be pushing forward with more fixes.

Or...their SW is getting more buggy

 

[ghostface147]

Does this fix the bug for voiceovers and voice control?

 

[bigchrisfgb]

Hmmm. Really? "pushing forward with more fixes"? What about push forward with a release that doesn't require fixes when released. Isn't this like "a ship with a hole in the bottom, leaking water, and [the] job is to get the ship pointed in the right direction"?

I've not had any problems with any iOS 9 releases. Maybe Apple are releasing these updates to fix security concerns like they say they are and ones that were documented only a week or so ago?

 

[sbailey4]

I'm a bit surprised to see another update so soon before iOS 10 is released.

Shouldn't be, There are several devices that will remain on iOS 9.x so it needs to be as good as it can be.

 

[jonnyb098]

I'm a bit surprised to see another update so soon before iOS 10 is released.

They know there will still be millions of people that will be on iOS 9 in the coming months. Better to patch the bugs I guess.

 

[Northgrove]

Is it odd that Apple would release so many updates to iOS over a year? We're at iOS 9.3.5 now.

Think back to iOS 7, we got to 7.1.2.

I actually think that in the iOS 7 days, iOS got pretty stale between the major releases. I think I prefer this way.

iOS 9.1 had 150 new emojis.
iOS 9.2 had major Apple Music improvements and a load of other fixes.
iOS 9.3 came with Night Shift, News improvements, protected Notes, etc.

I'd prefer that style rather than wait for iOS 10 to get all that.

Maybe it's something that won't persist though? Although iOS 8 was also much like this. Anyway, I think it makes sense to iterate on a particular major release a bit more than usual if that is the focus on it.

 

[smacrumon]

Going to throw this out there. Since it is obviously so simple of a task in the minds of many here at Macrumors, why don't you all band together and DO IT YOURSELF? What a novel concept, right? Since it obviously requires just rolling up the sleeves and digging in it should be doable by anyone!

Seriously, you can put up or shut up as far as I am concerned. Reducing the an extremely complex issue to "they should just do it!!!!" is asinine.

What I'm saying is, maybe the releases are too premature before being made publicly available.

 

[S.B.G]

Shouldn't be, There are several devices that will remain on iOS 9.x so it needs to be as good as it can be.

They know there will still be millions of people that will be on iOS 9 in the coming months. Better to patch the bugs I guess.

I don't disagree at all; just surprised me is all, since they released 9.3.4 like a week or so ago.

 

[now i see it]

Interesting... 9.3.4 (which I didn't install) was 120MB for ip6+. Now 9.3.5 is only 39.5MB. hmmm

 

[jonnyb098]

I don't disagree at all; just surprised me is all, since they released 9.3.4 like a week or so ago.

Yeah I look at this as Apple missing things and thankfully fixing them. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing that bugs aren't being squashed sooner. iOS 7/8/9 weren't exactly smooth sailing in comparison to previous versions.

 

[639051]

What I'm saying is, maybe the releases are too premature before being made publicly available.

What I am saying is, you have no clue how anything in software development works if you expect a perfect world like you seem to imagine.