Due to expired certificates: Apple updates more old operating systems
Big Sur, Catalina, or watchOS 6: Apple has provided an update for a number of outdated systems. They resolve a specific problem.
Installing iOS on an iPhone.
(Image: nikkimeel / Shutterstock.com)
Anyone still using (very) old Apple devices may have been surprised on Tuesday night: This group of people might be offered an operating system update for the first time in years. The reason: Important certificates are expiring, which protect or enable central system processes. The updates renew these; otherwise, nothing changes.
Down to the Apple Watch Series 1
Without the updates, iMessage and FaceTime will not work, among other things, but also the general activation of the systems when setting them up again. On Macs, Apple is bringing macOS Big Sur to version 11.7.11, and for macOS Catalina (10.15.8), a Security Update 2026-001 is being provided, which, however, contains no security-relevant bug fixes besides the new certificates. For the Apple Watch, there are watchOS 6.3.1, 9.6.4, and 10.6.2 available for download. This means even the Apple Watch Series 1 is still getting the appropriate certificates.
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Finally, Apple has also released iOS 16.7.14 and iPadOS 16.7.14. Both are intended to ensure that the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus can still make emergency calls in Australia; the update for the older devices fixes a technical error. This should actually have been fixed in iOS 16.7.13, but that update from last week only caused more problems, which is why Apple withdrew it. What exactly the iPad version brings remained unclear at first.
Caution, open vulnerabilities
Apple had already released initial updates at the end of January that had fixed the certificate issue for certain iPhone model series, but the systems now being supplied, including the Apple Watch, were missing. In principle, it is commendable that Apple is thus preventing the hardware from becoming completely unusable.
However, the old operating systems all contain numerous unpatched security vulnerabilities. Therefore, such devices should not be operated with an internet connection if possible to avoid attacks. Apple always only maintains the latest operating system with all fixed security vulnerabilities; the previous version receives updates but does not receive all patches either. Even older systems are no longer maintained at all.
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