iPhone and iPod Touch 3.1.3: security patches

Posted by kent on February 4th, 2010

Apple has very quietly, almost too quietly, release a software update for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The 3.1.3 update was released on Tuesday, and seemed to be pretty inconsequential at first: a fix for the battery meter, some remedies for third-party app crashes, and something to do with Japanese keyboard layouts. Seemed like something I could do without for the moment. I rarely sync my phone, except when my music library starts to feel stale.

But buried below these minor fixes is another bit of info: The new version also patches five security holes. Three of these aren't likely to affect most users as they involve FTP servers or someone getting physical access to the device. Two of them are media exploits, however, one concerning images and one concerning sound. All the holes could leave iPhones and iPod Touches vulnerable to outside control.

So, if you haven't already, plug in your device, load up iTunes, and install the new software. And a note to Apple: Let us know it's a security patch; we're much more likely to update our devices over that, than a fix for the Japanese keyboard.