On the heels of macOS Monterey 12.2.1, which patched a critical WebKit flaw, Apple has released updates for macOS Big Sur (11.6.4) and macOS Catalina (2022-002) that also bring important security fixes. Apple has not released any details about the updates and there are no published CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) entries.
Big Sur 11.6.4 and the Security Update 2022-02 for Catalina come shortly after Big Sur 11.6.3 and the Security Update 2022-01 for Catalina were released on January 26, the same day Apple released macOS 12.2. The WebKit flaw was fixed for Big Sur and Catalina in Safari 15.3, so these updates likely address a separate issue. Apple’s only notes about the update are that they “improve the security of macOS.”
How to update macOS
Before updating your Mac, it’s a good idea to back up your data in case the installation causes problems.
To install the update, you need an internet connection. Also, your Mac will need to restart in order to finish the installation. Here are the steps.
- Click on the Apple menu.
- Select About this Mac.
- In the window that appears, go to the Overview tab if it’s not already open.
- Click on the Software Update button. This will open the Software Update system preference.
- You may see that the macOS Monterey upgrade is available. If you want the Big Sur or Catalina update, click on the “More info” link below Monterey.
- A window for the update should appear. When you are ready to install, click on the Install Now button. The installation takes several minutes, depending on the speed of the internet connection.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor
Roman has covered technology since the early 1990s. His career started at MacUser, and he's worked for MacAddict, Mac|Life, and TechTV.