CIA
Apple claims that the CIA hack affected devices with the previous version of iOS and the security flaw has been eliminated in the current one. Pictured: People are silhouetted as they pose with laptops in front of a screen projected with binary code and a Central Inteligence Agency (CIA) emblem, in this picture illustration taken in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Oct. 29, 2014. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Apple issued a statement Tuesday to news outlets saying that the company has already fixed major security vulnerabilities in its iOS software, which had been identified in Wikileaks' CIA document dump posted earlier in the day.

“Apple is deeply committed to safeguarding our customers' privacy and security. … 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. We always urge customers to download the latest iOS to make sure they have the most recent security updates,” the company’s official statement says as reported by TechCrunch.

The version indicated by the company’s official statement is iOS 10.2.1, which the company claims has fixed the security issues indicated in the Wikileaks dump, but the company might still be working to correct some of the security flaws.

On Tuesday, Wikileaks published 8,761 documents and files under the title ‘Vault 7’, which it claims are from CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence. In addition to 14 iOS exploits, the documents indicated vulnerabilities in Android OS and Samsung Smart TVs and also explained how the security loopholes could be used to track and monitor user’s communications and even take control of their phones.

This is not the first time Apple has had a security-related run-in with the authorities. After the infamous San Bernardino shooting that took place on 2nd Dec. 2015, the FBI had requested Apple to unlock the suspect’s iPhone, but the company declined the request. The agency then got the Israeli firm Cellebrate to break into the iPhone.

The revelation also makes it pertinent to install iOS update on your iOS devices as soon as possible. All phones ranging from iPhone 5 and up are eligible for the iOS 10.2.1 update and you can install it by connecting your device to iTunes or navigating to Settings> General> Software Update.

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