Hunted by hackers, Chinese government urges update to old iOS and iPadOS

China (ANTARA) - China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has issued an official security advisory targeted at iPhone and iPad users still running outdated software following active exploitation of security vulnerabilities.

Gizchina website, local time Saturday (4/4), reported that the MIIT advisory covers all iPhones and iPads with iOS or iPadOS versions 13.0 to 17.2.1, urging immediate updates to the latest supported version to avoid cyber attacks.

Attackers are distributing malicious code via Safari by luring users to visit compromised websites through SMS phishing, emails, or manipulated search results.

If successful, attackers can install remote control malware, steal sensitive user data, and gain full administrative access to the device.

Users are also advised to enable automatic updates and avoid clicking suspicious links from unknown sources, regardless of the iOS version in use.

MIIT clearly explained how the attack works. Victims receive messages via SMS, email, or manipulated search results containing links.

No app download is required. No suspicious permission requests. Just a link and an outdated operating system.

This combination is what makes authorities consider the situation urgent, not just a routine warning.

iOS versions 13 to 17.2.1 cover many devices and users who have not yet updated to the latest version.

Currently, the latest iOS version is iOS 17, so anyone lagging several major versions behind falls into the vulnerable category.

To check the iOS version, go to Settings — General — About — iOS Version. If it shows between 13.0 and 17.2.1, immediately update via Settings — General — Software Update.

Even if the device is already updated, MIIT still recommends vigilance against unsolicited links in messages and avoiding clicking links from unknown senders.

Enabling automatic updates is also crucial to avoid missing future security updates.

A full history of Apple’s security updates can be viewed on their official website for users who wish to check protection details for the version in use.

It is known that hacking targeting outdated iPhone and iPad software has previously been reported to also target users in several countries, including China, Malaysia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine.