Apple rolls out first ‘background security’ update for iPhones, iPads, and Macs to fix Safari bug

Apple has published its first “background security improvement” update to patch a security bug in its Safari web browser on iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

According to a new security advisory posted Tuesday, Apple said a security researcher discovered a bug in WebKit, the browser engine that powers Safari and other apps. The bug, if exploited, could allow a malicious website to potentially access data from another website in the same browser session.

Apple explains that background security improvements are “lightweight” software updates that contain important fixes for security vulnerabilities, which the company pushes to customers’ devices in between larger software updates.

These updates, which debuted with iPhones, iPads, and Macs running the latest version of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS (ver. 26.1 and higher), can contain fixes for certain software components, such as Safari, its WebKit engine, and other system libraries that benefit from occasional ongoing security updates.

Apple did not give a reason for why it patched this specific bug, and a spokesperson for Apple did not immediately comment when contacted by TechCrunch.

When we downloaded the new background security update, it only required a quick device restart, rather than the longer reboot typically reserved for software updates containing more substantial fixes.

Prior to Tuesday’s first background security improvement, Apple published several security fixes to software testers to trial the new update feature before it launched.