Unpatched: Which MacBooks and desktop Macs are no longer seeing security updates
With the release of macOS 15 Sequoia, macOS 12 Monterey support may conclude, with no more updates expected for the operating system or Apple’s browser.
(Image: Farknot Architect / Shutterstock.com)
That's probably it for Apple patches for macOS 12 Monterey: Following the release of macOS 15 Sequoia, the manufacturer will, as expected, discontinue support for the now three-year-old predecessor. The pre-installed Safari browser is therefore also unlikely to receive any more updates under this operating system version, leaving security gaps open. Mac users who are still using macOS 12 should therefore update – to macOS 13 if their hardware supports it – or at least switch from Safari to a browser such as Chrome or Firefox, which will continue to receive security updates.
MacBook Air 2017, MacBook Pro 2015: No more patches
At the same time, this means that certain Mac models will no longer be supplied with security patches because they are running macOS 12 or later. This includes the once very popular MacBook Pro 2015 and its successor from 2016. It is also not possible to upgrade to macOS 13 on MacBook Air 2015 and 2017 or the 12-inch MacBook 2016. As a result, the Mac Pro 2013 is now excluded from the desktop Macs, as are the Mac mini 2014 and the iMacs from 2015. Apple sold the Mac Pro 2013 and MacBook Air 2017 as new devices until 2019.
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The MacBook Pro 2017, MacBook 2017 and iMacs from 2017 are expected to receive security patches for macOS 13 from Apple until summer 2025. However, these model series will probably no longer receive further updates for the EFI firmware. Apple usually only delivers firmware updates with major updates or upgrades.
Newer versions of macOS can be installed on unsupported Macs using the OpenCore Legacy Patcher tool. However, this is only possible if certain security functions of the operating system are disabled and users accept possible bugs and problems.
Only the latest Apple systems will be fully patched
Apple does not make a clear promise to provide security updates for either macOS or iOS. Usually, only the two preceding macOS versions continue to receive security updates (as well as Safari updates). These are currently macOS 14 Sonoma and macOS 13 Ventura, which can also be updated to Safari 18. In the older systems, however, not all known security vulnerabilities are closed, as Apple admitted two years ago. The company cites "architectural dependencies and system changes" as the reason for this. All patches are now only available to users who update their devices to macOS 15 and iOS / iPadOS 18.
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