Apple Releases Safari 15.6.1 for macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina With Important Security Fix

Apple today released Safari version 15.6.1 for the older macOS Big Sur and macOS Catalina operating systems. The update includes an important security fix for a WebKit vulnerability that could lead to arbitrary code execution, according to Apple.

safari icon blue banner
Apple said it is aware of a report that the WebKit vulnerability may have been actively exploited, so updating Safari is highly recommended.

Apple released macOS Monterey 12.5.1, iOS 15.6.1, and iPadOS 15.6.1 yesterday with fixes for both WebKit and kernel vulnerabilities. As noted by Mr. Macintosh on Twitter, a fix for the kernel-related vulnerability has yet to be released for macOS Big Sur or macOS Catalina, but it's unclear if that vulnerability affects those operating systems.

Tag: Safari

Popular Stories

ios 26 1 slide to stop

iOS 26.1 Brings Back 2007 Feature in New Way

Friday October 31, 2025 1:40 pm PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a small but helpful change for iPhones, and it could prevent you from running late to something important. Specifically, when an alarm goes off in the Clock app, there is a new "slide to stop" control on the screen for turning off the alarm. On previous iOS 26 versions, there is simply a large "stop" button, which could be accidentally tapped. The new ...
M5 MacBook Pro

Waiting for New Macs? Apple Just Shared Bad News

Friday October 31, 2025 7:32 am PDT by
Apple has just given a strong indication that it will not be releasing any additional new Macs for the remainder of the year. Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh dropped the hint during the company's earnings call on Thursday:On Mac, keep in mind, we expect to face a very difficult compare against the M4 MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac launches in the year-ago quarter.Parekh essentially gave a heads up ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

8 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Thursday October 30, 2025 4:42 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

6 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.1

Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below. Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock 1

Leaker Outlines Potential New Colors for iPhone 18 Pro

Friday October 31, 2025 8:28 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models could be available in new rich and warm color option, according to a known leaker. The Weibo user known as "Instant Digital" today suggested that next-year's iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in at least one of the following color options: Coffee, purple, and burgundy. The iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 14, and iPhone 14 Pro were all available in ...
Apple Foldable Thumb

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Friday October 31, 2025 8:52 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that have been leaked about Apple's foldable iPhone so far. Ove...
apple tv hd

Apple Launched Its Big New Vision for TV 10 Years Ago Today

Thursday October 30, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple launched the Apple TV HD, the Siri Remote, tvOS, and their accompanying App Store a decade ago today, marking a major overhaul of the device. The new vision for the Apple TV was unveiled on September 9, 2015 during Apple's "Hey Siri" event in San Francisco, where CEO Tim Cook introduced the device with the statement, "The future of TV is apps." The announcement represented a major...
iOS 26

Apple This November: iOS 26.2 Beta, Rumored New Products, and More

Thursday October 30, 2025 12:42 pm PDT by
Tomorrow is Halloween, and then November is upon us. Below, we outline what to expect from Apple next month, as the slower holiday season approaches. Apple is expected to kick off November by releasing iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, tvOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1. With beta testing now wrapped up, the updates will likely be released this Monday, November 3 or Tuesday,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Coming Soon: New Features for Your iPhone and Release Date

Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more. Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1. Release Date Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Apple CEO Tim Cook Says Revamped Siri on Track to Launch Next Year

Thursday October 30, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said that a more personalized version of Siri remains on track to launch at some point next year, with the new set of features expected to debut on the iPhone as part of iOS 26.4 in March or April. "We're also excited for a more personalized Siri," said Cook, on Apple's earnings call for the third quarter of the 2025 calendar year. "We're making good progress on it,...

Top Rated Comments

glsillygili Avatar
42 months ago
I wish Apple would make Safari on iOS a standalone app so it can be updated independently of iOS
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shh Avatar
42 months ago

I wish Apple would make Safari on iOS a standalone app so it can be updated independently of iOS
All of their apps should be that way like it is on Android.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Phantom iCloud tabs Avatar
42 months ago

I thought theoretically they had separated most of the core apps, but I still don’t recall ever seeing an update for them outside of a full OS release or point release.

And yet they still choose certain apps that can’t be uninstalled. On the iPhone I can’t think of anything that can’t be uninstalled except maybe App Store itself, but on watch and Mac ironically News for example is there to stay, like it or not.
Exactly. Shutting the whole system down for an hour to update some minor chunk of code in Safari is atrocious design.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
42 months ago

Exactly. Shutting the whole system down for an hour to update some minor chunk of code in Safari is atrocious design.
An hour? This latest update took 5 minutes.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ccsicecoke Avatar
42 months ago
Fix that in 10.9 Mavericks too!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
42 months ago

Your post makes absolutely zero sense. The benefit is we would get app updates immediately when there are issues instead of having to wait for an entire iOS update to get them. There wouldn’t be a million different configurations, it would be exactly the same as it is now. Apps could just be updated at the same time, just like iOS updates are updated at the same time.
You’re missing my point. In your scenario, you might have a user on iOS 15.1.3, Safari 16.0.3 and Music 12.9.3 etc. It will entirely depend on the user which apps and updates they have. So yes, you could end up with many different configurations. And bugs as a result because an issue might arise with a very specific combination. it’s much much harder for Apple to support this approach.

In the current scenario, people do get the latest update when there’s an issue fixed. there’s zero proof updates are delayed . And what do you care if a specific update only contains Safari, or part of the core framework, or some other fixes or an update for the entire OS.

It’s very well possible an update only touches on Safari components, so essentially it’s just a safari update and not “an entire iOS update”.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)