Apple releases iOS 17.0.3 update to fix overheating issues on iPhone 15
Apple has released iOS 17.0.3 for all iPhones. The update is a hotfix patch to address the overheating issues that iPhone 15 users have reported.
In case you missed it, several reports surfaced over the last weekend complaining about how the new phones were becoming warmer than usual. Apple released a statement to the Wall Street Journal, that confirmed there was a bug in iOS 17 that caused iPhones to run at abnormal temperatures. The Silicon Valley mogul had also dismissed rumors about the Titanium frame on iPhone 15 Pro models for overheating the devices, and said that Titanium was a better option for heat dissipation than Stainless Steel.
Apple also revealed that a few third-party apps were a factor in iPhones becoming warmer. It noted that Instagram, Uber, and Asphalt 9 overloading the phone's CPU, which in turn caused the mobile devices to overheat. The Cupertino company had reassured users that it would not throttle the performance of its phones to address the problem, and that the issue does not cause any harm to the devices in the long-term.
The report from the WSJ mentioned that the Cupertino company was expected to fix the heating issues in the iOS 17.1 update, that could be released at the end of October. But some rumors had claimed that Apple had been developing iOS 17.0.3 as a hotfix update to patch the bug as soon as possible in the stable channel. That's exactly what has happened today.
iOS 17.0.3 update patches bug that caused iPhones to run warmer
The release notes for iOS 17.0.3 state that "This update provides important bug fixes, security updates, and addresses an issue that may cause iPhone to run warmer than expected." That should serve as an official confirmation from Apple for admitting the issue, and fixing it. Users should update their apps, particularly, Instagram and Uber, as new versions for both come with some performance fixes. Several users of older iPhones had claimed that iOS 17 affected their devices negatively, causing their phones to heat up and drain the battery quickly.
Well, the good news is that the iOS 17.0.3 update is not exclusive to the iPhone 15 series, it is available for all devices that support iOS 17, i.e. iPhone XS and later. The build number for the update is 21A360.
iOS 17.0.3 update fixes two zero-day security threats
The security portal on Apple's website mentions that iOS 17.0.3 patches two security issues. The first of the two vulnerabilities, which is tracked as CVE-2023-42824, is a kernel level security issue that could allow a local attacker, i.e. one who has physical access to the device, to elevate their privileges. Apple says that it is aware that hackers may have been actively exploiting this vulnerability in older versions of iOS, specifically before iOS 16.6.
The other security flaw is related to WebRTC, and has been tracked under CVE-2023-5217. The release notes for the issue state that a buffer overflow could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code. Apple patched the issue by updating to libvpx 1.13.1.
Apple has also released the iPadOS 17.0.3 update, it is available for the following devices: iPad Pro 12.9-inch 2nd generation and later, iPad Pro 10.5-inch, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 6th generation and later, and iPad Mini 5th generation and later.
The company has not released a new update for macOS Sonoma 14 or watchOS 10 today. Apple released iOS 17.1 beta 2 yesterday to add some new settings to manage StandBy, and to restore the new ringtones that were removed from iOS 17.1 beta 1.
