14 DAY TRIAL // In what is a rather surprising move, Apple has just released a new update to the iPhone OS, bringing the software version to 3.1.2 in just under a month from the release of OS 3.1, the latest major update for iPhone and iPod touch owners.
According to the release notes issued by Apple today, the iPhone OS 3.1.2 update contains bug fixes and improvements, including fixes for a sporadic issue that may cause the iPhone to not wake from sleep, an issue that may interrupt cellular network services until restart, as well as a bug that could cause occasional crash during video streaming.
The company behind the Mac operating system also points out to users of an iPhone or iPod touch that OS 3.1.2 contains security fixes previously incorporated in iPhone OS 3.1. According to the designated Support document (“About the security content of iPhone OS 3.1 and iPhone OS 3.1.1 for iPod touch”), vulnerabilities addressed include:
- Opening a maliciously crafted AAC or MP3 file may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution; - A person with physical access to a device may be able to use it after the timeout period specified by an Exchange administrator; - Deleted email messages may still be visible through a Spotlight search; - A person with physical access to a locked device may be able to access the user's data; - Receiving a maliciously crafted SMS message may lead to an unexpected service interruption; - Passwords may be made visible; - User names and passwords in URLs may be disclosed to linked sites; - Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution; - Visiting a maliciously crafted website may lead to a cross-site scripting attack; - Look-alike characters in a URL could be used to masquerade a website.
For detailed information on how Apple has addressed these security issues, readers are encouraged to visit the company’s Support section here.
If you haven’t updated using iTunes already, to download the latest version of the iPhone OS for first-generation iPhones, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS, use the link below.