Apple to issue fix for chip flaw on iPhones, Macs

San Francisco, January 6

Apple will release a patch for Safari browser on its iPhones, iPads and Macs within days, it said on Thursday, after major chipmakers disclosed flaws that leave nearly every modern computing device vulnerable to hackers.
Browser makers Google, Microsoft Corp and Mozilla Corp’s Firefox all confirmed to Reuters that the patches they currently have in place do not protect iOS users. With Safari and virtually all other popular browsers not patched, hundreds of millions of iPhone and iPad users may have no secure means of browsing the web until Apple issues its patch.
Apple stressed that there were no known instances of hackers taking advantage of the flaw to date.
On Wednesday, Alphabet Inc’s Google and other security researchers disclosed two major chip flaws: Meltdown affecting only Intel Corp chips and Spectre affecting nearly all computer chips made in last decade. The news sparked a sell-off in Intel’s stock as investors tried to gauge the costs to the chipmaker.