Apple fixed a major security vulnerability in macOS Big Sur 11.3 – Apple macOS

After three months of beta testing, Apple finally released a stable version of macOS 11.3 to the public recently.It can be seen that it contains some new features, as well as a fix for a major security flaw that was being exploited by malicious attackers.Therefore, unless you insist on using macOS Catalina for compatibility reasons, it is recommended that you continue to obtain and install the update through “System Preferences -> Software Update” as soon as possible.

Video Snapshot (From: ZolloTech / YouTube)

For M1 Mac users, macOS 11.3 Big Sur update also includes improvements to run iPhone / iPad apps on a Mac.

For example, display full screen in higher resolution, and adjust application window size. Use the “touch override” function in the app preferences to set touch, keyboard and mouse operations. From the “Game Control” panel, enable grip emulation.

If you already have an Xbox Series X / S or PlayStation 5 controller, macOS 11.3 also provides support.

Additionally, for the recently released AirTag smart tracker, Apple also hopes to build a huge network for its own devices around the world, and the Find My app has already supported tracking and related alerts.

MacOS 11.3 release – what’s new （via）

On the browser side, Safari was able to customize the “start page” (by rearranging the different parts of the window), and developers could use related extensions to replace the “new tab”.

The new Web Voice API allows websites to integrate voice recognition to provide better accessibility. For those who want to enable WebM video container / Vorbis audio codec support for websites like YouTube / Wikipedia, the long wait is over.

Other notable features include more Siri audio options, Apple Music autoplay / city planner, and a redesigned Apple News + news feed and search experience.

Ability to sort scheduling reminders according to factors such as creation date, priority, title, and due date. And more information about “About This Mac” on the “Services” tab, such as Apple Care + coverage.

Several known software bugs were fixed in macOS 11.3, such as an issue with AirPods audio being directed to incorrect devices. Or connect to an external monitor via USB-C, but it doesn’t work at the original resolution.

But the most important point is a serious security vulnerability previously discovered by Cedric Owens and exposed by Patrick Wardle, and previously exploited by the Schleier malware.

This vulnerability allows a malicious attacker to easily bypass isolation protections on macOS, and even prevent Gatekeeper from appearing warning prompts. If it is used by other malware (like ransomware), the consequences could be more serious.

Wardle explained that although the Shlayer malware doesn’t seem complicated, it’s surprising that Apple mistakenly assumed the macOS security mechanism that hackers would not be able to obtain the developer ID and faced frustration.

Thankfully, this macOS 11.3 vulnerability has been fixed. Additionally, Apple has updated XProtect to enable it to monitor and warn if any downloaded software attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the old version of macOS.