Urgent Alert: Three Weeks Remaining to Upgrade Your iPhone or Android Device
Alright, folks, buckle up! If you're an iPhone or Android user, listen up. Google and Apple have issued skinny pink slips for your phones due to imminent security threats. They've thrown down the gauntlet with a three-week deadlines to install those updates, lest you become cannon fodder for the onslaught of attacks.
The stern warnings came straight from America's cyber defense agency, who've issued a legal mandate for all federal employees to update their unpatched devices or face the chop. CISA, in its bid to help organizations better manage vulnerabilities and keep up with the threat landscape, has also issued an urgent alert, advising everyone to slash their exposure to cyberattacks through the prompt remediation of these exploited vulnerabilities. If you can't update, stop using it until you can.
On February 5th, Android users were handed their marching orders by Google, who warned of potential limited, targeted exploitation of CVE-2024-53104. Phones should be updated by February 26th. Android Pixel users have already gotten the patch, but other manufacturers are yet to roll it out. Android's situation is a tad messy.
Meanwhile, iPhone users received their deadline on February 12th, with Apple warning about CVE-2025-24200 that "may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals." iPhone users should hit update by March 5th. The threat here is a physical attack that attempts to bypass USB Restricted Mode on a locked device, a feature designed to thwart data extraction tools.
Samsung's situation is a wild card. The fix wasn't included in the February update, although it might be swaggering in under the radar. But, as of now, the deadline won't be met.
Windows users have also joined the dancefloor in this zero-day party, giving the ol' Patch Tuesday updates a run for their money. Just like with iPhones and Android, Windows 10 and 11 users must tow the line by March 4th.
In the great circus of Modern Times, Android, iPhone, and Windows users are all on countdown to update, or risk the--ahem--pleasure of being offline. So, pop that popcorn, and get ready for a 3-week update marathon.
- Google and Apple's warnings about potential security threats on iPhone and Android devices have prompted CISA to issue an alert, advising everyone to update their devices to mitigate vulnerabilities associated with CVE-2024-53104 and CVE-2025-24200.
- The FBI has issued a legal mandate for all federal employees to update their unpatched devices due to these threats, or face consequences.
- Android users, including Pixel owners, have been given a deadline of February 26th to install updates to prevent exploitation of CVE-2024-53104, while iPhone users have until March 5th to update against CVE-2025-24200.
- Samsung's situation with these vulnerabilities is unclear, and it remains to be seen if they will meet the March deadline.
- Windows users have also been advised to update their devices by March 4th to protect against potential cyberattacks.
- Failure to update could lead to serious security threats and potential offline periods for iPhone, Android, and Windows users.
