Apple rolls out first ‘background security’ update to iPhone, iPad, Mac to fix Safari bugs

Apple has rolled out its first “Background Security Improvements” update that patches security bugs in the Safari web browser on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

In a new security advisory posted Tuesday, Apple announced that security researchers have discovered a bug in WebKit, the browser engine that powers Safari and other apps. If exploited, this bug could allow a malicious website to access data from another website within the same browser session.

Apple describes background security improvements as “lightweight” software updates containing critical fixes for security vulnerabilities that the company pushes to customer devices between major software updates.

These updates are released with iPhone, iPad, and Mac running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS (ver. 26.1 and later) and may include 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 say why it patched this particular bug, and an Apple spokesperson did not immediately comment in response to an inquiry from TechCrunch.

When I downloaded a new background security update, I only needed a quick reboot of my device instead of the lengthy reboot typically reserved for software updates with more important fixes.

Ahead of its first background security improvements on Tuesday, Apple rolled out several security fixes to software testers to try out new update features before they’re released.