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   macOS 14.4.1 Sonoma and macOS 13.6.6 Ventura Fix Bugs and Vulnerabilities

   Adam Engst

   And now the other shoe has dropped. After last week's updates (see
   '[1]Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 17.4.1 and 16.7.7, and visionOS
   1.1.1,' 22 March 2024), we assumed more updates would be coming.

   Today, Apple released [2]macOS 14.4.1 Sonoma and [3]macOS 13.6.6
   Ventura. Given the bugs and security vulnerabilities they fix, it seems
   less likely that any other operating systems will receive parallel
   updates.

   Apple doesn't detail the bug fixes in macOS 13.6.6, but the release
   notes for macOS 14.4.1 say it resolves some high-profile problems. The
   update:
     * Ensures that USB hubsconnected to external displays are recognized
     * Prevents Java apps from quitting unexpectedly
     * Allows copy-protectedAudio Unit plug-ins designed for professional
       music apps to open or pass validation

   In addition, [4]Howard Oakley suggests that macOS 14.4.1 may fix the
   bug that caused saved versions to be stripped from evicted files in
   iCloud Drive.

   On the security side, both macOS updates address [5]the same
   vulnerability in processing maliciously crafted images as the earlier
   iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS releases.

   If you are running macOS 14.4, I recommend installing macOS 14.4.1
   right away. Those still using Ventura and anyone who hasn't yet updated
   to macOS 14.4 can wait a few more days because the security
   vulnerabilities aren't currently being exploited in the wild.

References

   1. https://tidbits.com/2024/03/22/apple-releases-ios-and-ipados-17-4-1-and-16-7-7-and-visionos-1-1-1/
   2. https://support.apple.com/en-us/109035
   3. https://support.apple.com/en-us/106337
   4. https://eclecticlight.co/2024/03/25/apple-has-released-macos-sonoma-14-4-1-and-ventura-13-6-6-updates/
   5. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT214096

.