Apple’s security update patches 29 vulnerabilities in iOS 16.6.1 and iPadOS 16.6.1

Apple launches iOS 16.6.1 and iPadOS 16.6.1, addressing 29 security flaws including WebKit, kernel, and telephony vulnerabilities, with no new features added.

Apple has issued iOS 16.6.1 and iPadOS 16.6.1, a security-focused update that addresses 29 vulnerabilities across core parts of the operating system, according to Apple’s security bulletin. The company says the patch covers WebKit, the kernel, image handling, audio, graphics and telephony, and is available for iPhone 11 and later alongside a wide range of recent iPad models. The release does not add new consumer features. According to Apple, the fixes were first included in beta builds of iOS 27 and iPadOS 27.

The largest cluster of issues affects WebKit, the engine behind Safari and other apps that display web content. Apple says the flaws could cause crashes, memory corruption or disclosure of sensitive information when malicious content is processed. The update also closes an ImageIO weakness that could allow arbitrary code execution during image processing, plus another bug that could be used to trigger a denial-of-service condition.

Apple said it also patched three kernel vulnerabilities that might let an app read or corrupt kernel memory, or force an unexpected system shutdown. In telephony, the company fixed a flaw that could allow a privileged attacker on a network to bypass IPSec authentication and intercept traffic. It also addressed another issue that could expose sensitive user information, saying it strengthened checks in the audio component.

The company advises users to back up their device, connect it to power and Wi‑Fi, then open Settings, go to General, select Software Update and choose Download and Install. Apple has also released macOS Tahoe 26.6.2 for compatible Macs, although the matching iPhone and iPad release remains numbered 16.6.1.