Indian Govt issues 'high risk warning' for Apple users over data theft

The Indian government has issued a red alert for Apple users across the country. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has flagged multiple critical vulnerabilities affecting a wide range of Apple products including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple TVs, and even the new Apple Vision Pro. These flaws could allow attackers to steal personal data or take complete control of your device.

The security bulletin—CIVN-2025-0071—details that these flaws stem from deep-rooted issues in Apple’s software code, ranging from type confusion errors and use-after-free bugs to buffer overflows and improper input validations. These vulnerabilities could be exploited remotely or locally, giving cybercriminals the opportunity to execute malicious code, bypass system protections, elevate privileges, and even launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.

According to CERT-In, the affected software includes iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, Safari, visionOS, and even Xcode, Apple’s development platform. Users running outdated versions such as iOS 15.8.3 or older, macOS Ventura 13.7.4 or older, or Safari prior to version 18.4 are particularly at risk. In essence, anyone who hasn’t updated their Apple device recently could be a sitting duck for hackers.

What makes this alert especially worrying is its broad target base. It affects not just individual users but businesses and institutions that rely on Apple’s ecosystem for secure communication, data handling, and remote work. A successful exploit could compromise sensitive corporate data, financial records, and even intellectual property.

CERT-In is urging all users to immediately update their devices with the latest patches released by Apple. Updates are now available and can be manually installed via device settings. The agency also strongly recommends turning on automatic updates to stay protected against future threats.

In cybersecurity, timing is everything. The longer you wait to update, the more exposed your device becomes. Users are advised not to take this warning lightly.