macOS Monterey 12.2 and iOS 15.3 Release Candidates Fix Safari Bug That Leaks Browsing Activity

by

The macOS Monterey 12.2 and iOS 15.3 release candidates that came out today appear to address a Safari bug that could cause your recent browsing history and details about your identity to be leaked to malicious entities.

safari icon blue banner
As shared last week by browser fingerprinting service FingerprintJS, there is an issue with the WebKit implementation of the IndexedDB JavaScript API. Any website that uses IndexedDB can access the names of IndexedDB databases generated by other websites during the same browsing session.

The bug permits a website to spy on other websites that the user visits while Safari is open, and because some websites use user-specific identifiers in their IndexedDB database names, personal information can be gleaned about the user and their browsing habits.

Browsers that use Apple's WebKit engine are impacted, and that includes Safari 15 for Mac and Safari for iOS 15 and iPadOS 15. Some third-party browsers like Chrome are also affected on iOS and iPadOS 15, but the macOS Monterey 12.2, iOS 15.3, and iPadOS 15.3 updates fix the vulnerability.

FingerprintJS constructed a demo website to let users check to see whether they're impacted, and as 9to5Mac notes, after updating to the new software, the website detects no security holes.

The website is designed to tell users details about their Google accounts. On iOS 15.2.1 and macOS Monterey 12.1, we tested and the demo website was able to detect our Google account. After updating to the macOS Monterey 12.2 RC and the iOS 15.3 RC, the demo website no longer detects any data.

Apple earlier this week prepared a fix for the bug and uploaded it to the WebKit page on GitHub, so we knew that Apple was working to address the vulnerability. With the macOS Monterey 12.2 and iOS 15.3 release candidates now available, we could see these updates be made available to the public as soon as next week.

Tag: Safari
Related Forums: iOS 15, macOS Monterey

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
Read Full Article • 657 comments
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Read Full Article • 175 comments
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
Read Full Article • 59 comments
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Read Full Article • 241 comments
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
Read Full Article • 46 comments
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Read Full Article • 286 comments
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Read Full Article
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...
Read Full Article

Top Rated Comments

Dave-Z Avatar
Dave-Z
40 months ago

As discovered last week ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/01/16/safari-15-webkit-indexeddb-bug/') by browser fingerprinting service FingerprintJS
It wasn't discovered last week. It was discovered last year, November 2021. It was disclosed to the public last week.


we knew that Apple was working to address the vulnerability in a timely manner
Addressing the issue nearly two months after it having been reported is not timely, especially considering this patch still hasn't reach the public. If the update comes out in one week that will have been two months since Apple first learned about it.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
centauratlas Avatar
centauratlas
40 months ago
"address the vulnerability in a timely manner.".

But is it really timely? Sure, timely since it was made public, but was it timely since they first were informed of it? I'd say no.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CaTOAGU Avatar
CaTOAGU
40 months ago
It really does feel a bit silly that we’re still having to wait on OS level updates to fix a bug in a web browser.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IGI2 Avatar
IGI2
40 months ago

It wasn't discovered last week. It was discovered last year, November 2021. It was disclosed to the public last week.



Addressing the issue nearly two months after it having been reported is not timely, especially considering this patch still hasn't reach the public. If the update comes out in one week that will have been two months since Apple first learned about it.
But to be fair, Google Project Zero (and others) has a disclosure policy of 90 days.

We know that this is a privacy breach, but still, modern OSs are fairly complex. Getting to know about it, analysis, fixing it, incorporating in all variants, QA testing, and distributing it to all end users across the globe in one time, whether it's iPhone 6s or iPhone 13 Pro Max is still within reasonable "timely" manner.

We know that they had some public pressure; that's why it's even shorter if we count days since it landed in the news.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
beanbaguk Avatar
beanbaguk
40 months ago
To all those members complaining about the "timely manner" statement. I would say this is very timely and your complaints indicate you have no experience in software development.

I've been in software development for many years (I am a Head of Product at a software technology company), and patching something isn't just a 5-minute job, even if you know what the issue is and how to fix it.

A small change on an API will impact many, many areas of a product and this means thorough testing is required, and diligence of any related libraries and products.

This is hugely time-consuming and since this product impacts so many platforms, it's not just a case of patching and letting it go into the wild. Especially in this instance, a security audit would have to also be conducted to show the result works, and this would have to be verified by multiple organisations.

Then, the patch has to be tested to ensure it deploys safely and correctly over the air. That update process takes time to implement, manage and check. It then needs checking again, more testing and feedback from users (beta), and devs to ensure they are not experiencing any issues. Again, all this takes time.

I hope this provides some perspective as to how and why these fixes take a little time.

It reminds me of the days when I used to build websites for clients. Talking to an individual who has zero ideas as to the complexities of a solid product is the most infuriating and patience-testing experience as a developer.

Anyway. Two months for a fix like this on this scale is perfectly acceptable.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macintosh TV Avatar
Macintosh TV
40 months ago
Mozilla has security issues that are more than 2 years old and filed in their system. Chrome has outstanding security issues older than this. Folks need to settle down. This stuff happens. It gets fixed. If you're unhappy with the speed at which a browser or OS patches issues, then it may be time to look elsewhere.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments