OS X El Capitan LogoApple today released Security Update 2016-001 for OS X El Capitan users, introducing important security fixes to the operating system. Apple has also also introduced Security Update 2016-005 for OS X Yosemite users.

The Security Updates are available to all OS X Yosemite and El Capitan users and can be downloaded from the Mac App Store. Apple recommends all users install the update, and a full list of what's fixed can be found in the accompanying support document.

Most security updates are generally built into OS X updates as they are released, with separate security-only updates only being introduced when standard updates to the operating system are not expected. The release of a Security Update for OS X El Capitan suggests we may not see any new versions of the operating system ahead of the launch of macOS Sierra.

Update: Today’s security update fixes a series of critical kernel vulnerabilities that were recently patched in iOS with the release of iOS 9.3.5. On iOS devices, the vulnerabilities were part of a sophisticated jailbreak and malware attack that gave access to all of the functionality of an iPhone or iPad.

Citizen Lab and Lookout, who discovered the vulnerabilities on OS X and iOS, are credited with the fix.

Update 2: There's also a Safari 9.1.3 update to fix vulnerabilities in the Safari browser.

Top Rated Comments

tywebb13 Avatar
100 months ago
400 MB. Serious ****.
There are three parts to it. If you want to install the El Capitan one manually do it in this order:

Full Bundle Update:
http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/50/35/031-75159/4vr88oyevm1r0p30oz6tx3ygo689whk1f4/FullBundleUpdate.pkg (18.8MB)

Firmware Update:
http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/50/35/031-75159/4vr88oyevm1r0p30oz6tx3ygo689whk1f4/FirmwareUpdate.pkg (130.1MB)

Security Update 2016-001 10.11.6: http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/50/35/031-75159/4vr88oyevm1r0p30oz6tx3ygo689whk1f4/SecUpd2016-001ElCapitan.pkg (265.2MB)

Last one requires a restart.

Here are the Yosemite ones:

Firmware Update http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/31/50/031-74572/d6rg3uuihx9tfvsavc7i4vk1ay6q15hvmt/FirmwareUpdate.pkg (115.5MB)

Security Update 2016-005 10.10.5 http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/31/50/031-74572/d6rg3uuihx9tfvsavc7i4vk1ay6q15hvmt/SecUpd2016-005Yosemite.pkg (352.1MB)

(no Full Bundle Update)

The Yosemite one is actually bigger than the El Capitan one.

Alternative links:

Security Update 2016-001 10.11.6: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1891?locale=en_US

Security Update 2016-005 10.10.5 https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1890?locale=en_US

Notice that there ISN'T one for mavericks. So that's the end of mavericks as far as security is concerned. But they DID release a new safari for mavericks (and yosemite). Here they are respectively:

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/47/05/031-75479/smgdhqybff3jofycbq8uuciu5td7co45am/Safari9.1.3Mavericks.pkg

http://swcdn.apple.com/content/downloads/62/05/031-75481/c10gu5qoz8bbbk1jczzzvxm9ih4fupo0wz/Safari9.1.3Yosemite.pkg
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chrfr Avatar
100 months ago
The actual release notes for this update are here: https://support.apple.com/HT207130
This patches the vulnerabilities just patched in iOS 9.3.5.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SandboxGeneral Avatar
100 months ago
introducing important security fixes to the operating system
I wish Apple would give more details on the "important security fixes" they deploy.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
KALLT Avatar
100 months ago
I wish Apple would give more details on the "important security fixes" they deploy.
They do in a separate note, always. It will appear here: https://support.apple.com/HT201222.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LogicalVue Avatar
100 months ago
Be wary if you're using a Mac Pro with the Nvidia web drivers. This broke the current Nvidia driver (346.03.15f02) so no more nice 4K retina display until the Nvidia update is posted.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Quu Avatar
100 months ago
I wish Apple would give more details on the "important security fixes" they deploy.
Here are the release notes for this specific update. [S]https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT205731[/S]

EDIT:// It would appear these are actually not the correct release notes, why Apple reuses the same name for different security updates is beyond me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18 Siri Integrated Feature

iOS 18 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Friday April 12, 2024 11:11 am PDT by
iOS 18 is expected to be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. iOS 18 is rumored to include new generative AI features for Siri and many apps, and Apple plans to add RCS support to the Messages app for an improved texting experience between iPhones and Android devices. The update is also expected to introduce a more...
Delta Feature

Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone

Wednesday April 17, 2024 9:58 am PDT by
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of...
iOS NES Emulator Bimmy Feature

NES Emulator for iPhone and iPad Now Available on App Store [Removed]

Tuesday April 16, 2024 11:33 am PDT by
The first approved Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator for the iPhone and iPad was made available on the App Store today following Apple's rule change. The emulator is called Bimmy, and it was developed by Tom Salvo. On the App Store, Bimmy is described as a tool for testing and playing public domain/"homebrew" games created for the NES, but the app allows you to load ROMs for any...
iGBA Feature

Apple Removes Game Boy Emulator iGBA From App Store Due to Spam and Copyright Violations

Sunday April 14, 2024 9:22 pm PDT by
Apple today said it removed Game Boy emulator iGBA from the App Store for violating the company's App Review Guidelines related to spam (section 4.3) and copyright (section 5.2), but it did not provide any specific details. iGBA was a copycat version of developer Riley Testut's open-source GBA4iOS app. The emulator rose to the top of the App Store charts following its release this weekend,...
iPhone 15 Pro Action Button Translate

All iPhone 16 Models to Feature Action Button, But Usefulness Debated

Tuesday April 16, 2024 6:54 am PDT by
Last September, Apple's iPhone 15 Pro models debuted with a new customizable Action button, offering faster access to a handful of functions, as well as the ability to assign Shortcuts. Apple is poised to include the feature on all upcoming iPhone 16 models, so we asked iPhone 15 Pro users what their experience has been with the additional button so far. The Action button replaces the switch ...
iGBA Feature

Game Boy Emulator for iPhone Now Available in App Store Following Rule Change [Removed]

Sunday April 14, 2024 8:06 am PDT by
A week after Apple updated its App Review Guidelines to permit retro game console emulators, a Game Boy emulator for the iPhone called iGBA has appeared in the App Store worldwide. The emulator is already one of the top free apps on the App Store charts. It was not entirely clear if Apple would allow emulators to work with all and any games, but iGBA is able to load any Game Boy ROMs that...