Apple Releases macOS 10.12.6, iOS 10.3.3, watchOS 3.2.3, and tvOS 10.2.2
Apple has released bug fix and security updates for all of its operating systems. The company didn’t list any new features in the release notes. These updates fix the BroadPwn vulnerability (see “iOS 10.3.3 Patches High-Profile BroadPwn Flaw,” 21 July 2017), so we recommend updating as soon as possible. As always, back up your data first!
macOS 10.12.6 — macOS 10.12.6 Sierra is available via Software Update, where it’s an 819 MB download. Alternatively, you can instead download a 1.98 GB combo updater to update from any version of 10.12.
In addition to unspecified bug fixes, 10.12.6 includes the following enterprise-focused changes:
- Resolves an issue that prevented making certain SMB connections from the Finder
- Fixes an issue that caused Xsan clients to unexpectedly restart when moving a file within a relation point on a Quantum StorNext File System
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Improves the stability of the Terminal app
macOS 10.12.6 includes 24 security fixes.
iOS 10.3.3 — You can install the iOS 10.3.3 update via Settings > General > Software Update or through iTunes. It too features 24 security fixes and ranges in size from 80 MB to 140 MB.
watchOS 3.2.3 — watchOS 3.2.3 is a 26.1 MB update that you install via the Watch app on your iPhone (in Watch > Settings > General > Software Update). Remember that the Apple Watch must be on its charger, charged to at least 50 percent, and within range of your iPhone, which itself must be on Wi-Fi. Don’t start installing if you’ll want to use the watch again within an hour or so — watchOS updates take surprisingly long to load. watchOS 3.2.3 includes 10 security fixes.
tvOS 10.2.2 — Finally, Apple released tvOS 10.2.2, which includes 15 security fixes. If your fourth-generation Apple TV isn’t set to update automatically, you can get tvOS 10.2.2 via Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software.
When I go to the App Store Updates page, I wait several minutes--no exaggeration while the site searches; then I get an error message saying "Impossible to load from servers" or something similar. Has anybody else encountered this problem? I haven't seen it with OS updates in the past.
When I first looked for the update on the App Store I got a "no new updates" message. But a while later the updates showed up. Busy servers I suppose. Not unusual, as it happens, when something new comes out. What I wanted to get was the iTunes 12.6.2 update, which Apple was kind enough to make available as a standalone update as well. Not many of their apps are available that way. It would be nice to get standalone copies of Safari, for example, for archive purposes. For macOS X 10.12.6 I downloaded the Combo update. Combo updates can clear the system of chuff you might not even know exists, or have any way of knowing exists. It only takes a little longer to download and install a combo update and it's well worth the effort, in my opinion. Most articles about OS X updates, like this one, include links to the combo updates.
For what it's worth, I've had no problems since updating, though I did do a backup first, just in case.
It's also interesting that macOS X 10.12 has had more updates than any version of OS X or the macOS in quite a while—though OS X 10.9.5 Mavericks had a slew of security updates. So did OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. The last version of OS X that got so many updates was Snow Leopard, up to 10.6.8 back in 2013. Maybe we'll be lucky and there will be one more Sierra update before High Sierra comes out.
Are Macs going back to 2009 vulnerable? Some of them can still run Sierra.
Looks like those are the only ones vulnerable.
Vulnerable to what?