Apple Releases Operating Systems Fix to Block Spyware

The same zero days that allowed sophisticated spyware to take over iPhones also existed in Apple OS X and the Safari web browser.

Citizen Lab and Lookout last week reported three exploits called Trident that could remotely jailbreak an iOS device and install spyware. Trident was used in the wild: A human rights activist received text messages that lead to the exploits’ discovery.

Apple released a security update Aug. 25 for its mobile operating system. The company released urgent security updates for El Capitan and Yosemite on Sept. 1.

“The same vulnerabilities showed up in OS X because the desktop and mobile versions of the Safari browser share much of the same code base,” according to a CNET report.