- MacOS Big Sur has a new look, which Apple says is its biggest design update to its desktop operating system since OS X debuted back in 2001. It’s fast, nice to look at, and full of useful.
- MacOS Big Sur was announced on June 22nd at Apple's WWDC Developer Conference. A developer beta is available now, public beta in July, with the general release in the fall.
Apple today seeded the fifth beta of an upcoming macOS Big Sur 11.3 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming one week after the launch of the fourth beta and more than a.
In addition to various minor bug fixes, Apple's 11.2.2 update to macOS Big Sur addresses an issue where newer MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models could be damaged by dodgy third-party USB-C accessories.
Per the update notes: 'macOS Big Sur 11.2.2 prevents MacBook Pro (2019 or later) and MacBook Air (2020 or later) models from incurring damage when they are connected to certain third-party, non-compliant powered USB-C hubs and docks.'
Apple didn't go into detail about how pervasive this issue is, or what manufacturers and models are responsible, although you wouldn't really expect it to within the context of a release note.
Still, user could easily find examples of people who bricked their machines after using pocket-friendly USB-C hubs that provide power delivery. A Reddit user griped about how a no-name hub with USB-C PD (Power Delivery) turned their M1 MacBook Air into a paperweight, forcing them to return the machine to Apple.
'I purchased an M1 Macbook Air in November 2020, and was using it as my main computer alongside a ZMUIPNG USB C hub. This was all working perfectly well and I had no issues. At Christmas, I got another ZMUIPNG USB C hub, but this one had power delivery.'
After a few months of usage, the hub suddenly went haywire, bricking the pricey MacBook Air in the process. 'The screen flashed for a brief second and then went black. Everything died. The Macbook refused to turn back on. I tried all the reset commands and got into contact with Apple first thing the next morning.'
It has always been a bad idea to gamble with cheap charging kit. There are just too many shoddy products out there. This is just as true for older conventional charging bricks (there are no shortage of stories about laptops being irreparably damaged by unofficial MagSafe chargers) as it is for the newer USB-C standard.
SD card slot, HDMI port could return to the MacBook Pro this year, says Apple analyst
READ MOREOne of the most egregious examples is the unfortunate Google engineer Benson Leung, whose 2015 Chromebook Pixel 2015 fell victim to an improperly wired USB-C cable from Amazon. Upon closer inspection, the cable had fried the board-level embedded controller responsible for managing charging.
Apple is expected to bring back MagSafe later this year. Those upgrading this year are well advised to stick with official (albeit stomach-churningly expensive) chargers.
In the meantime, those languishing in dongle purgatory should steer clear of cheap hubs and chargers, irrespective of this new patch. As with all things, you get what you pay for. ®
Apple Big Sur Updates
About Apple security updates
For our customers' protection, Apple doesn't disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues until an investigation has occurred and patches or releases are available. Recent releases are listed on the Apple security updates page.
Apple security documents reference vulnerabilities by CVE-ID when possible.
For more information about security, see the Apple Product Security page.
macOS Big Sur 11.2.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update*, macOS Mojave 10.14.6 Security Update 2021-002
Released February 9, 2021
Intel Graphics Driver
Available for: macOS Big Sur 11.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: An out-of-bounds write was addressed with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-1805: ABC Research s.r.o. working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
Intel Graphics Driver
Available for: macOS Big Sur 11.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.7
Impact: An application may be able to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges
Description: A race condition was addressed with additional validation.
CVE-2021-1806: ABC Research s.r.o. working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative
Sudo
Available for: macOS Big Sur 11.2, macOS Catalina 10.15.7, macOS Mojave 10.14.6
Impact: A local attacker may be able to elevate their privileges
Description: This issue was addressed by updating to sudo version 1.9.5p2.
CVE-2021-3156: Qualys
Apple Ios Big Sur Update
* After installing this update, the build number for macOS Catalina 10.15.7 is 19H524.