14 DAY TRIAL // Apple rolled out not only iOS 11.2.2, but also a new macOS update today, as it tries to secure its devices against the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities disclosed earlier this month.
MacOS 10.13.2 doesn’t come with a lengthy change log, but instead introduces security improvements that are specifically supposed to enhance mitigations against the two security flaws. Most likely, the include fixes for Safari browser, as just like Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox, the application needs further tweaks to block JavaScript attacks launched from compromised websites.
As compared to Windows, which required emergency patches because users were exposed to Meltdown and Spectre attacks, macOS devices were protected from the very beginning thanks to security updates that Apple silently introduced in the previous updates.
No word on impact on performance
The Cupertino-based tech giant confirmed in an advisory last week that all its macOS and iOS devices were vulnerable to Meltdown and Spectre security flaws, but it added not only that no attacks were launched against users, but also that the latest versions of its operating systems included fixes in this regard.
“Apple has already released mitigations in iOS 11.2, macOS 10.13.2, and tvOS 11.2 to help defend against Meltdown. Apple Watch is not affected by Meltdown. In the coming days we plan to release mitigations in Safari to help defend against Spectre. We continue to develop and test further mitigations for these issues and will release them in upcoming updates of iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS,” the firm said.
Apple hasn’t said anything about the performance impact these updates could have on macOS devices, despite fears that surfaced last week and suggesting a possible slowdown on all devices installing Meltdown and Spectre patches.
Until now, however, this myth has been debunked on Windows 10, where pre- and post-patching benchmarks showed little to no performance difference caused by the official anti-Meltdown and Spectre updates.