Apple has started rolling out iOS 15.2.1 and iPadOS 15.2.1 updates for iPhone and iPad users, as the update is available for iPhone 6s and later, iPad Pro (all models), iPad Air 2 and later, and iPad 5th generation and later later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation) via remote update in the Settings app on the device.
You can check if you have received the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update, and if you have received the update, you can install it in your phone from the same page, but keep in mind that the update does not appear immediately for download for every user.
This is a very minor hardware update but it addresses a security vulnerability that could make your Apple iPhone or iPad completely unusable.
Why you should update iPhone and iPad now
The vulnerability was discovered by security researcher Trevor Spinolas last year. As the researcher explained in his blog post, Apple added a home extension name length limit with iOS 15.1.
And after the update, when the HomeKit device’s name is changed to a large string (500,000 characters in Finder’s test), any device running iOS 15.1 or later will be disabled, even after a reboot. The blog also reveals that the error will be triggered again when you sign back into the iCloud account associated with your HomeKit after restoring your iPhone.
It should be noted that the error can also affect users who do not have any Apple Home device added on their iPhone. This can happen if you accept an invitation to a home that has a HomeKit device with a string as large as its name.
And with the latest update, the tech giant has fixed this bug, and once you install iOS 15.2.1 or iPad OS 15.2.1, you are safe from the mentioned vulnerability. Apart from this, Apple has also started rolling out the second beta of iOS 15.3 and iPadOS 15.3 to developers.
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