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Apple to WikiLeaks: Our latest iOS stops potential CIA hacks

You should apparently update to the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system on your iPhone or iPad.

Alfred Ng Senior Reporter / CNET News
Alfred Ng was a senior reporter for CNET News. He was raised in Brooklyn and previously worked on the New York Daily News's social media and breaking news teams.
Alfred Ng
2 min read
Watch this: Apple, Samsung, LG respond to WikiLeaks dump
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Apple says its latest iOS already fixed many of the exploits listed in WikiLeaks' document dump.

Josh Miller/CNET

As fallout continues from WikiLeaks releasing thousands of documents claiming to show the CIA's secret hacking tools, Apple says its iPhones and iPads are safe.

That is, if you've upgraded to the latest version of its iOS software.

WikiLeaks released its "Vault 7" data dump Tuesday, accusing the CIA of knowing how to hack into operating systems that run iPhones, Android phones and Windows and Linux computers. CNET is unable to verify whether the documents are real or have been altered. But security experts said the leaks appear legitimate, according to CBS News.

The CIA had allegedly discovered "Zero Day" vulnerabilities on iOS devices but did not notify Apple, so it could continue exploiting these security holes to break into devices, according to the documents. With that kind of access, it meant hackers could even read encrypted messages on services like WhatsApp and Signal.

Late Tuesday, Apple said the majority of the vulnerabilities have already been fixed in its latest iOS update.

The most recent iOS update was released January 23 as version 10.2.1. The exploits detailed in Vault 7 were from 2013 to 2016.

"While our initial analysis indicates that many of the issues leaked today were already patched in the latest iOS, we will continue work to rapidly address any identified vulnerabilities," an Apple spokesman said in a statement. "We always urge customers to download the latest iOS to make sure they have the most recent security updates."

Apple said 80 percent of its users are running on the latest operating system and are safe from the majority of the CIA's alleged exploits.

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