Apple Releases iOS 14.8 and iPadOS 14.8 With Security Updates

Apple today released iOS 14.8, marking the eighth major update to the iOS operating system that came out in September 2020. iOS 14.8 comes two months after the release of iOS 14.7, an update that introduced MagSafe Battery Pack support.

The iOS 14.8 update can be downloaded for free and the software is available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the new software, go to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released a new version if iPadOS 14.

According to Apple's release notes, iOS 14.8 is a security-focused update that is recommended for all users. Apple's security support document outlines two major fixes that have been implemented for issues that Apple says may have been actively exploited.

There is a CoreGraphics bug that could allow a maliciously crafted PDF to lead to arbitrary code execution, as well as a WebKit vulnerability that could allow maliciously crafted web content to execute code.

iOS 14.8 could one of the final updates to the iOS 14 operating system as we're expecting the iOS 15 update to be released in just a couple of weeks, but Apple has said that it plans to allow people to keep using iOS 14 if they don't want to upgrade to iOS 15. For that reason, iOS 14 may continue to get small security updates over time, but new features will likely be limited to iOS 15.

Update 10:16 a.m.: Apple has also released watchOS 7.6.2 with similar security fixes for Apple Watch Series 3 and later.