The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has released an urgent cybersecurity advisory for users of iPhones and iPads, highlighting the identification of several critical vulnerabilities in Apple’s mobile operating systems—iOS and iPadOS. These security concerns may allow unauthorized access to sensitive information or cause the affected devices to become inoperable.
Devices vulnerable to these threats include iPhones running software versions older than iOS 18.3, and iPads using iPadOS versions earlier than 17.7.3 or 18.3, depending on the device model. This affects models such as the iPhone XS and newer, and a range of iPads including the iPad Pro (2nd generation and up), iPad 6th generation and later, iPad Air from the 3rd generation onward, and iPad mini 5th generation and above.
The identified vulnerabilities pose serious threats. They can be exploited by attackers to extract personal and financial data, bypass Apple’s in-built security protections, run malicious code, or in extreme cases, crash the devices completely. CERT-In has confirmed that some of these vulnerabilities are already being targeted in active cyberattacks.
In light of these risks, Apple has released security patches to address the issues. Users are strongly urged to Apple has released security patches to address the issues. Users are strongly urged to upgrade their devices to the latest versions of iOS or iPadOS without delay. It is also advised to avoid downloading apps from untrusted sources and to monitor devices for abnormal activity that could signal a potential breach.
Parallel with this security update, recent market data reveals that India’s smartphone sector saw shipments fall to 32 million units in the first quarter of 2025, a 5.5% decline compared to the same period last year—marking the second quarter in a row of shrinking sales. The dip is attributed to subdued consumer demand and excess stock from the previous quarter. Despite the slump, Apple saw impressive growth, recording a 23% year-on-year increase in shipments—the highest among the top five smartphone manufacturers. The company shipped a record three million iPhones in Q1 2025, with the iPhone 16 emerging as the most popular model, contributing 4% to total smartphone shipments in India during the quarter.
