Apple just used its new Rapid Security Response system for the first time in a regular public release – all previous RSR patches were for iOS/macOS beta testing.
The patch is an update for those running iOS or iPadOS 16.4.1 or macOS 13.3.1. There are no release notes for this update, Apple only provides the boilerplate description: “This Rapid Security Response provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.”
Apple describes the new Rapid Security Response system as follows:
Rapid Security Responses is a new kind of software release for iPhone, iPad and Mac. They offer significant security improvements between software updates, for example, improvements to the Safari web browser, WebKit framework stack, or other critical system libraries. They can also be used to more quickly mitigate certain security issues, such as issues that could have been exploited or flagged as existing “in the wild”.
The new security quick answers are provided only for the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, starting with iOS 16.4.1, iPadOS 16.4.1, and macOS 13.3.1.
At this time, Apple’s Security Updates page does not yet list specific fixes for this RSR. We’ll update this story as more details about the update become available. It’s unclear if Apple will move away from security patches related to point updates or if these RSR updates are for faster emergency fixes.
If you want to make sure you receive these updates, go to Settings (System Settings on macOS) > General > Software updates > Automatic updates and make sure “Security Responses & System Files” is enabled. They would be rolled out over a few days, so your device may not receive the update immediately or there may be problems installing it. These fixes will eventually be included in the next version of iOS/iPadOS/macOS, but it may take some time and leave your device vulnerable in the meantime.
This new system was intended as a way for Apple to quickly update critical system components without updating all of iOS, which may include updates to built-in apps and requires a lot more testing before release.
