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Apple has released security updates to address a zero-day vulnerability that threat actors can exploit in attacks targeting Macs and Apple Watch devices. Zero-days are security flaws that the software vendor is unaware of and hasn't yet patched. In some cases, this type of vulnerability may also have publicly available proof-of-concept exploits before a patch arrives or maybe actively exploited in the wild. In security advisories issued on Monday, Apple revealed that they're aware of reports this security bug "may have been actively exploited." The flaw is an out-of-bounds write issue (CVE-2022-22675) in the AppleAVD (a kernel extension for audio and video decoding) that allows apps to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges. The bug was reported by anonymous researchers and fixed by Apple in macOS Big Sur 11.6.6 and watchOS 8.6 with improved bounds checking. The list of impacted devices includes Apple Watch Series 3 or later and Macs running macOS Big Sur. While Apple disclosed reports of active exploitation in the wild, it did not release any extra info regarding these attacks. By withholding information, the company is likely aiming to allow the security updates to reach as many Apple Watches and Macs as possible before attackers pick up on the zero-day's details and start deploying exploits in other attacks. Although this zero-day was most probably only used in targeted attacks, it's still strongly advised to install today's macOS and watchOS security updates as soon as possible to block attack attempts. In January, Apple patched two other zero-days exploited in the wild to let attackers gain arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges (CVE-2022-22587) and track web browsing activity and user identities in real-time (CVE-2022-22594). One month later, Apple released security updates to patch a new zero-day bug (CVE-2022-22620) exploited to hack iPhones, iPads, and Macs, which leads to OS crashes and remote code execution on compromised Apple devices. In March, two more actively exploited zero-days in the Intel Graphics Driver (CVE-2022-22674) and the AppleAVD media decoder (CVE-2022-22675), the latter patched today in older versions of macOS. These five zero-days impact iPhones (iPhone 6s and up), Macs running macOS Monterey, and multiple iPad models. Throughout last year, the company also patched a long list of zero-days exploited in the wild to target iOS, iPadOS, and macOS devices. Follow this thread and more on OUR FORUM.

Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase has thrust the social media censorship debate squarely into the limelight, triggering the left and elating the right. Celebrities and the liberal media were quick to denounce Musk’s stance on free speech (which is odd, given that those on the left were the advocates of the First Amendment just a decade ago) and some deleted their Twitter accounts. Conservatives, meanwhile, and anyone who cares about free speech, immediately raised the eccentric billionaire to superhero status. Almost overnight, he went from ‘cool rich guy who values free market capitalism’ to savior of the First Amendment. And maybe he will be. But let’s take a moment to zoom out on the bigger picture. Twitter is not Musk’s only darling, and maybe we’re placing too much of a burden on one man. Understandably, without Donald Trump in the White House, regular middle-class Americans long for a hero to disrupt the leftist elite empire. Someone influential, powerful, and brave and who will actually take substantive action is like a godsend to us. And at least on the surface, it appears Elon Musk could fill that role. He’s straight forward, seems genuine, and thus far, capable of dealing with the backlash from his enemies. However, Musk is, first and foremost, a businessman who loves building things and creating. When most of us were still playing with blocks, he was already writing code. It remains unclear how he’s going to like playing politics in the long term, and social media is inevitably political. While that’s not entirely new to the prolific tweeter, politics isn’t his usual territory. The billionaire has already walked back his “free speech absolutist” comments, explaining that what he really meant was free speech that adheres to the law. Fair enough, but the tweet came across as making him seem a bit less steady on his feet. And he will have to be plenty steady, because he’s going to need the proverbial fighting skills of Mike Tyson to handle what’s coming next under the Biden regime. After all, the Democrats have made it clear that they want to control all information to Orwellian extremes. Is Elon ready for that? And even if he is, there’s really only so much he can do with Twitter. It may be a private company, but private companies are subject to government regulations. The founder of multiple multi-billion-dollar companies, he knows this better than anyone and is no stranger to working with the US government and even seeking its help.
Despite being well known as a believer in a limited, hands-off type of government, Musk has on more than one occasion accepted subsidies from the US government for several of his companies. In addition, SpaceX currently has two contracts with the Pentagon to launch Falcon 9 rockets in the coming year. read more on our Forum

The 45th US President Donald Trump has no intention of coming back to Twitter, even after the platform’s acquisition by Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk that was announced on Monday.
Trump told Fox News he will instead make his social media comeback on TRUTH Social, his own platform, in the coming days. “I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH,” Trump told the cable network on Monday. “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on TRUTH.” Trump’s own platform launched back in February, but he has yet to make an appearance there. He told Fox he plans to start “truthing” over the next seven days. The real-estate mogul turned Republican president famously leveraged his social media presence to bypass the legacy media in the 2016 campaign, first defeating the GOP establishment and then Democrat Hillary Clinton in the general election. He continued to use his personal Twitter account after taking office, prompting one federal judge to rule he’s not allowed to block critics. Following the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, however, Twitter “permanently suspended” Trump, saying some people could interpret his tweets as incitement of violence. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat quickly followed suit. Citing Twitter’s censorship of the satirical site Babylon Bee, Elon Musk made an offer to buy the platform earlier this month. Though the Twitter board initially rejected that bid and tried to insert a “poison pill” provision to head it off, on Monday they said they would accept his offer for a $44 billion takeover. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement announcing the purchase. Restoring the accounts censored on political grounds over the years – including Trump – is among the top requests Musk is currently getting on Twitter.

  

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