Apple released updates for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina after the release of macOS 12.2.1 Monterey, which fixed a major security flaw in the operating system. The company hasn’t disclosed the specific security issues that the latest updates connect, but the updates are likely to improve the security of macOS. These two security updates, recommended for all users, were released shortly after the Cupertino-based company released WebKit security-related updates for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina in January.
As per the information shared by Apple, the macOS Big Sur update has version 11.6.4 and the macOS Catalina update has firmware version 2022-002. Both do not have published CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposure) details. This comes a few days after Apple released security updates for Safari 15.3 on macOS Big Sur (version 11.6.3) and macOS Catalina 2022-001 which addressed the WebKit vulnerability.
Earlier this week, Apple released macOS 12.2.1 Monterey. The update fixed a major security flaw in WebKit, the web browser engine used in Safari, Mail, the App Store, and some Linux applications. The vulnerability could have allowed an attacker to process maliciously crafted content on the Web to arbitrarily execute code on a user’s computer. Apple also acknowledged that the security flaw may have been actively exploited and recommends that users install the update as soon as possible.
Other fixes that came with macOS 12.2.1 Montery include one for a bug that caused battery drain in sleep mode on MacBook models with Intel processors. Apple says the battery drain issue was caused when connected to Bluetooth peripherals. Users have reported battery drain issues after upgrading to macOS 12.2. Apple is working on macOS 12.3 which will likely bring a fix for the same issue on MacBooks with M1.