Apple rolls out iOS 9.3.5 to beef up security [Update]

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Apple today rolled out yet another surprise update to iOS 9 ahead of iOS 10’s public debut this fall. iOS 9.3.5 beefs up security once again and promise performance improvements.

This is only a minor software update, but like all security patches, it is recommended you install it as soon as you can. iOS 9.3.5 is available to all devices running iOS 9 and above, and you can download it now over-the-air.

It’s not yet clear what iOS 9.3.5 fixes, but Apple did already eliminate a jailbreak exploit with iOS 9.3.4 just three weeks ago. This is probably the last update we’ll see for iOS 9 before iOS 10 rolls out to the public, though Apple could surprise us with another patch in the coming weeks.

Update: The New York Times reports that iOS 9.3.5 fixes a serious vulnerability that allows our devices to be snooped on. Software created by Israeli company NSO Group took advantage of the hole to read text messages and emails, to record calls, and to steal contacts.

“It can even record sounds, collect passwords and trace the whereabouts of the phone user,” the report explains. Apple is said to have fixed the vulnerability just ten days after it was reported by researchers.

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