iOS 14.4 Patches Vulnerabilities That May Have Been Actively Exploited

Apple today released iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4, and along with a handful of minor new features, the software introduces security fixes for three vulnerabilities that may have been used in the wild.

14
According to a security support document shared by Apple, there were kernel and WebKit vulnerabilities affecting all iPhones and iPads running iOS or iPadOS 14. The kernel vulnerability could allow a malicious application to elevate privileges, and Apple says it is aware of a report that the issue may have been actively exploited.

Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A malicious application may be able to elevate privileges. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Description: A race condition was addressed with improved locking.
CVE-2021-1782: an anonymous researcher

Apple also says a WebKit issue that allowed for a remote attacker to cause arbitrary code execution may have been actively exploited.

Available for: iPhone 6s and later, iPad Air 2 and later, iPad mini 4 and later, and iPod touch (7th generation)
Impact: A remote attacker may be able to cause arbitrary code execution. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been actively exploited.
Description: A logic issue was addressed with improved restrictions.
CVE-2021-1871: an anonymous researcher
CVE-2021-1870: an anonymous researcher

There is no other information available at this time, but Apple's support document says that additional information will be "available soon."

Given that significant vulnerabilities are patched in the iOS 14.4 and iPadOS 14.4 updates, those running iOS 14 should update as soon as possible.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Popular Stories

Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
iOS 26

iOS 26.3 Beta 1 Features: What's New So Far

Monday December 15, 2025 4:23 pm PST by
Apple is testing iOS 26.3, the next version of iOS 26 that will launch around January. Since iOS 26.3's testing is happening over the holidays, it is a smaller update with fewer features than we've seen in prior betas. We've rounded up what's new so far, and we'll add to our list with subsequent betas if we come across any other features. Transfer to Android Apple is making it simpler...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Features Leaked in New Report, Including Under-Screen Face ID

Tuesday December 16, 2025 8:44 am PST by
Next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with under-screen Face ID, and the front camera will be moved to the top-left corner of the screen, according to a new report from The Information's Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu. As a result of these changes, the report said the iPhone 18 Pro models will not have a pill-shaped Dynamic Island cutout at the top of the screen....
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
apple iphone air battery pack

Apple Aims to Boost Popularity of iPhone Air 2 in Two Ways

Tuesday December 16, 2025 11:06 am PST by
We have been covering iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Fold details from The Information's report about future iPhone models, and next up is the iPhone Air 2. The report says that Apple aims to make the iPhone Air 2 more attractive in two ways. First, Apple is apparently considering adding a second rear camera to the device, which would resolve a key limitation. The current iPhone...
airpods max 2024 colors

AirPods Max 2 Likely to Offer These 10 New Features

Monday December 15, 2025 7:41 am PST by
Apple released the AirPods Max on December 15, 2020, meaning the over-ear headphones launched five years ago today. While the AirPods Max were updated with a USB-C port and new color options last year, followed by support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio this year, the headphones lack some of the features that have been introduced for newer generations of the regular AirPods and the ...

Top Rated Comments

LFC2020 Avatar
64 months ago
Great work apple, you don’t get this kind of support with android, may the walled garden continue to blossom. ???
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unregistered 4U Avatar
64 months ago
The security researchers I admire? These ones:

CVE-2021-1782: an anonymous researcher
CVE-2021-1871: an anonymous researcher
CVE-2021-1870: an anonymous researcher

Never have to worry about if they’re doing it to drive business or for publicity :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fhall1 Avatar
64 months ago

Remember updating to that abortion OS called Catalina???
Nope - so far my machines are still running Mojave
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
64 months ago
I am glad Apple is so proactive in this area.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
64 months ago
I wonder if these holes are in iOS 12; lots of iPhone 6 users still out there, like my mom.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
64 months ago

And this, folks, is why one should always stay up to date.
Exactly. Too many people around here don't update their device because they afraid of performance. In my opinion, security takes precedence.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)