Apple Releases Safari 15.6.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina With Important Security Fix

[MacRumors]

Apple today released Safari version 15.6.1 for the older macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina operating systems. The update includes an important security fix for a WebKit vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary code execution, according to Apple.

Apple said it is aware of a report that the WebKit vulnerability may have been actively exploited, so updating Safari is highly recommended.

Apple released macOS Monterey 12.5.1, iOS 15.6.1, and iPadOS 15.6.1 yesterday with fixes for both WebKit and kernel vulnerabilities. As noted by Mr. Macintosh on Twitter, a fix for the kernel-related vulnerability has yet to be released for macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina, but it's unclear if that vulnerability affects those operating systems.

Article Link: Apple Releases Safari 15.6.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina With Important Security Fix

 

[glsillygili]

I wish Apple would make Safari on iOS a standalone app so it can be updated independently of iOS

 

[Shh]

I wish Apple would make Safari on iOS a standalone app so it can be updated independently of iOS

All of their apps should be that way like it is on Android.

 

[ccsicecoke]

Fix that in 10.9 Mavericks too!

 

[CarAnalogy]

I wish Apple would make Safari on iOS a standalone app so it can be updated independently of iOS

I thought theoretically they had separated most of the core apps, but I still don’t recall ever seeing an update for them outside of a full OS release or point release.

And yet they still choose certain apps that can’t be uninstalled. On the iPhone I can’t think of anything that can’t be uninstalled except maybe App Store itself, but on watch and Mac ironically News for example is there to stay, like it or not.

 

[Shh]

I thought theoretically they had separated most of the core apps, but I still don’t recall ever seeing an update for them outside of a full OS release or point release.

And yet they still choose certain apps that can’t be uninstalled. On the iPhone I can’t think of anything that can’t be uninstalled except maybe App Store itself, but on watch and Mac ironically News for example is there to stay, like it or not.

There are a lot of apps you can't uninstall on iOS. You can remove a lot more than before, but some are there to stay. At least on macOS, you can give yourself elevated privileges to delete core apps if that's something you actually wanted to do.

 

[Jerry Fritschle]

wish Apple would make Safari on iOS a standalone app so it can be updated independently of iOS

Yesterday's iOS and Monterey updates also addressed a kernel vulnerability. They also included a WebKit fix which, again, is baked into both systems' Sealed System Volume.

 

[Morod]

Anybody successful in finding this update?

On edit: I should've checked my Safari version number before asking the question.

 

[Jerry Fritschle]

Anybody successful in finding this update?

It's probably rolling out gradually. If you're like many, you'll see the nag to install Monterey, then "Another update is available" will pop up below it.

 

[hagar]

All of their apps should be that way like it is on Android.

Why? To get a million different configurations of devices in the wild, all having different versions of the OS and apps?

What’s the benefit in having iOS 16.1, Safari 15.0.13, Music 12.1, etc. While someone else might have a variation on that. Each configuration introduces new issues and bugs making it very hard for Apple to maintain this.

Now at least everybody is on the same version.

The only downside I see with the current approach is that updates always require a reboot.

 

[Shh]

Why? To get a million different configurations of devices in the wild, all having different versions of the OS and apps? What’s the benefit in that?

Now everybody’s on the same version.

Your post makes absolutely zero sense. The benefit is we would get app updates immediately when there are issues instead of having to wait for an entire iOS update to get them. There wouldn’t be a million different configurations, it would be exactly the same as it is now. Apps could just be updated at the same time, just like iOS updates are updated at the same time.

 

[kwijbo]

Waiting patiently for 14.8.2 to drop. Security and privacy are the hallmarks of iOS, right?

 

[hagar]

Your post makes absolutely zero sense. The benefit is we would get app updates immediately when there are issues instead of having to wait for an entire iOS update to get them. There wouldn’t be a million different configurations, it would be exactly the same as it is now. Apps could just be updated at the same time, just like iOS updates are updated at the same time.

You’re missing my point. In your scenario, you might have a user on iOS 15.1.3, Safari 16.0.3 and Music 12.9.3 etc. It will entirely depend on the user which apps and updates they have. So yes, you could end up with many different configurations. And bugs as a result because an issue might arise with a very specific combination. it’s much much harder for Apple to support this approach.

In the current scenario, people do get the latest update when there’s an issue fixed. there’s zero proof updates are delayed . And what do you care if a specific update only contains Safari, or part of the core framework, or some other fixes or an update for the entire OS.

It’s very well possible an update only touches on Safari components, so essentially it’s just a safari update and not “an entire iOS update”.

 

[Phantom iCloud tabs]

I thought theoretically they had separated most of the core apps, but I still don’t recall ever seeing an update for them outside of a full OS release or point release.

And yet they still choose certain apps that can’t be uninstalled. On the iPhone I can’t think of anything that can’t be uninstalled except maybe App Store itself, but on watch and Mac ironically News for example is there to stay, like it or not.

Exactly. Shutting the whole system down for an hour to update some minor chunk of code in Safari is atrocious design.

 

[nvmls]

Why? To get a million different configurations of devices in the wild, all having different versions of the OS and apps? What’s the benefit in that?

Now everybody’s on the same version.

Lol, what are you talking about?

 

[hagar]

Exactly. Shutting the whole system down for an hour to update some minor chunk of code in Safari is atrocious design.

An hour? This latest update took 5 minutes.

 

[lkrupp]

Anybody successful in finding this update?

Quite simple, actually. If you are running Catalina or Big Sur and have Safari 15.6 installed the update will show up in System Preferences->Software Update. As you should well know by now there is NO standalone updater to download.

 

[Saturn007]

What about fixes for Mojave and earlier operating systems?

I presume they're affected, too.

Many of us have older Macs; many of us still use 32-bit apps -- e.g., Office 2011; many of us are aware that upgrading to a recent OS could render our Macs sluggish; etc.

We spent good money in our day -- and keep spending it on newer computers -- but want to keep our older or even recent systems running securely!

 

[lkrupp]

It's probably rolling out gradually. If you're like many, you'll see the nag to install Monterey, then "Another update is available" will pop up below it.

This update has nothing to do with Monterey. The 15.6.1 update is for Big Sur and Catalina only. The Monterey 12.5.1 update fixed the vulnerability in Monterey.

 

[eatrains]

Exactly. Shutting the whole system down for an hour to update some minor chunk of code in Safari is atrocious design.

It's not Safari code, it's system-level WebKit code.

 

[minik]

Fix that in 10.9 Mavericks too!

Updating Safari 9.x while we're at 15.6.x? I don't think Google Chrome or Mozilla FireFox run on Mavericks.

 

[jooish]

What about those of us that are on iOS 16 beta...?

 

[CarAnalogy]

There are a lot of apps you can't uninstall on iOS. You can remove a lot more than before, but some are there to stay. At least on macOS, you can give yourself elevated privileges to delete core apps if that's something you actually wanted to do.

I'll have to try that. The one place I know for certain I will never ever use the news app is on the watch, and it's definitely stuck on there.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Exactly. Shutting the whole system down for an hour to update some minor chunk of code in Safari is atrocious design.

Yeah seriously Safari is such an egregious example it makes macOS updating look absolutely primitive compared to everyone else. I've never exactly loved Windows updates, but at least it's clear on macOS when it's going to happen and there's more control over it. But that's for the OS itself. Apple is apparently going to take the 90s Microsoft position that Safari is so deeply integrated into the OS that it can't possibly be updated separately.

Having said all that, is the new security update release system part of Ventura as well as iOS? That could help a little, but watching that bar crawl across my blank screen for 20 minutes on my otherwise extremely fast computer is starting to get old fast.

 

[Jerry Fritschle]

This update has nothing to do with Monterey. The 15.6.1 update is for Big Sur and Catalina only. The Monterey 12.5.1 update fixed the vulnerability in Monterey.

Perhaps I didn't make it clear. I am indeed referring to the BS and Catalina updates. But users of those systems, when they open Software Update, are presented with the offer to upgrade to Monterey--what I called the "nag". The Safari update appears separately below that, though not always immediately.

Edit: AFAIK, this should not happen on systems that Monterey does not support. But my mid-2014 MBP, stuck on Big Sur, does not seem completely aware of that.