As eagerly anticipated, Apple has released the update to macOS 15.2 Sequoia, together with security updates to bring Sonoma to version 14.7.2, and Ventura to 13.7.2. There should also be Safari updates to accompany the latter two.

For Intel Macs, the Sequoia update is 2.72 GB in size, and for Apple silicon models it’s 3.45 GB.

Security release notes for Sequoia list 42 vulnerabilities fixed in the 15.2 update, including four in the kernel, although none are noted as being currently exploited. Release notes for Sonoma list 25, and those for Ventura list just 22.

iBoot is updated to version 11881.61.3 on Apple silicon Macs, and Intel Macs with T2 chips have their firmware updated to 2069.40.2.0.0, iBridge 22.16.12093.0.0,0. Sequoia 15.2 brings Safari version 18.2 (20620.1.16.11.8).

Later tonight I hope to post a summary of changes in 15.2, in a separate article as usual.

[Updated 1938 GMT 11 December 2024.]

If your Mac is still running Sonoma or Ventura, and you have already updated it to 14.7.1 or 13.7.1, you might have noticed that neither updated Safari, nor has there been a separate update released yet for Safari 18.1.

According to release notes for Safari 18.1 (20619.2.8), this new version has already been released for Sonoma and Ventura, but as of 1600 GMT on 29 October 2024, there’s still no sign of any separate update, nor was it bundled in the x.7.1 updates.

Sonoma and Ventura had Safari 18 released for them on 16 September 2024, concurrently with Sequoia 15.0. On 3 October 2024, at the same time that Apple released Safari 18.0.1 in Sequoia 15.0.1, it also released Safari 18.0.1 for Sonoma and Ventura, without any CVEs being reported as fixed.

Current versions of Safari read:

• in Sequoia 15.1 – Safari 18.1 (20619.2.8.11.10)
• in Sonoma 14.7.1 – Safari 18.0.1 (19619.1.26.111.11, 19619)
• in Ventura 13.7.1 – Safari 18.0.1 (18619.1.26.111.11, 18619)

leaving the latter two due an update to Safari 18.1, which would ordinarily have been released with the x.7.1 macOS updates, but hasn’t been yet.

Update

As of 2150 on 29 October 2024, both Safari updates are now available through Software Update. Version and build numbers are 18.1 (19619.2.8.111.5, 19619) for Sonoma 14.7.1, and 18.1 (18619.2.8.111.5, 18619) for Ventura 13.7.1, and Apple lists the CVEs they address in this note.

As expected, Apple has released the update to macOS 15.1 Sequoia, together with security updates to bring Sonoma to version 14.7.1, and Ventura to 13.7.1. There should also be Safari updates to accompany the latter two.

The Sequoia update is around 2.9 GB for Apple silicon Macs, and about 2.4 GB for Intel models.

As expected, this brings the first release of Writing Tools, in the first wave of new AI features, only for Apple silicon Macs using US English as both their primary language, and that set for Siri. Apple hasn’t got round to providing any list of new or changed features, and you may find that offered by Software Update is the same as for 15.0.

Security release notes are available here for 15.1, which has around 50 entries, here for 14.7.1 with around 39, and here for 13.7.1 with around 36.

iBoot firmware on Apple silicon Macs is updated to version 11881.41.5, T2 firmware to 2069.40.2.0.0 (iBridge: 22.16.11072.0.0,0), and Safari to 18.1 (20619.2.8.11.10).

I will post details of changes found later tonight.

[Updated 1820 GMT 28 October 2024.]

Apple has just released an update to XProtect Remediator security software for Catalina or later, bringing it to version 147. The previous version was 145.

Apple doesn’t release information about what security issues this update might add or change. There are no changes in the number or names of its scanning modules, and Bastion rules also remain unchanged.

You can check whether this update has been installed by opening System Information via About This Mac, and selecting the Installations item under Software.

A full listing of security data file versions is given by SilentKnight, LockRattler and SystHist for El Capitan to Sequoia available from their product page. If your Mac has not yet installed this update, you can force it using SilentKnight, LockRattler, or at the command line.

If you want to install this as a named update in SilentKnight, its label is XProtectPayloads_10_15-147.

I have updated the reference pages here which are accessed directly from LockRattler 4.2 and later using its Check blog button.

I maintain lists of the current versions of security data files for Sequoia on this page, for Sonoma on this page, Ventura on this page, Monterey on this page, Big Sur on this page, Catalina on this page, Mojave on this page, High Sierra on this page, Sierra on this page, and El Capitan on this page.