macOS 12.2.1 With Fix for Exploited WebKit Flaw Out Now, Resolves Battery Drain on Intel-Based MacBook Models

Apple Silicon MacBook owners facing battery drain issues may have to wait till macOS 12.3 for a fix.

By David Delima | Updated: 11 February 2022 13:10 IST

macOS 12.2.1 With Fix for Exploited WebKit Flaw Out Now, Resolves Battery Drain on Intel-Based MacBook Models

MacBook owners should update to macOS 12.2.1 as it patches an important security flaw

Highlights

Apple released macOS 12.2 last month with several security fixes
macOS 12.2.1 patches an actively exploited WebKit security flaw
Apple is currently beta testing macOS 12.3

Apple is rolling out macOS 12.2.1 to all users, fixing an important security flaw alongside bug fixes. The company previously released macOS Monterey 12.2 in January with several security fixes and is currently beta testing macOS 12.3. The latest update also fixes a bug on Intel-based MacBook models that caused the battery to drain while sleeping. Meanwhile, owners of Apple's newer M1-based MacBook models may have to wait until macOS 12.3 is released to resolve the same Bluetooth battery drain issue.

macOS 12.2.1: What's new?

As part of the macOS 12.2.1 update that has begun rolling out to users, Apple revealed it has fixed a major security flaw on WebKit, the Web browser engine used on Safari, Mail, App Store, and some Linux applications. Processing maliciously crafted content on the Web would allow an attacker to arbitrarily execute code on a user's computer. Apple says that it is aware of a report that the security flaw may have been actively exploited, which means that users should update to macOS 12.2.1 as soon as possible.

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Meanwhile, Apple also says that it has resolved a bug that caused battery drain in sleep mode on Intel-based MacBook models, on macOS 12.2.1. The battery drain issue was caused when connected to Bluetooth peripherals, according to the company. Users reported the battery drain issues after updating to macOS 12.2, which was released last month. Based on Apple's changelog, it looks like affected M1 MacBook owners will have to wait for macOS 12.3 to see if the battery drain issues are resolved.

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Apple is also working on macOS 12.3, an important update that will bring support for the Universal Control feature, that will allow users to control their Mac and iPad using a single mouse, trackpad and keyboard. The feature is currently being tested before Apple releases macOS 12.3 to all users. Apple will also integrate new emoji from Unicode 14 as part of the upcoming macOS 12.3 update, alongside iOS 15.4, which is also being beta tested by the company.

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Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) Laptop

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Value for Money

Good
Familiar design
P3 colour gamut display
Excellent performance
Runs cool and quiet
Very good battery life

Bad
Low-resolution webcam

Read detailed Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review

Display size 13.30-inch

Display resolution 2560x1600 pixels

Touchscreen No

Processor Apple M1

RAM 8GB

OS macOS

Hard disk No

SSD 512GB

Weight 1.29 kg

More Apple Laptops

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch 2020 Laptop

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display size 13.30-inch

Display resolution 1600x2560 pixels

Touchscreen Yes

Processor Core i5

RAM 8GB

OS macOS

SSD 256GB

Graphics Intel Integrated Iris Plus Graphics 645

Weight 1.40 kg

More Apple Laptops

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch 2021 Laptop

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Value for Money

Good
Excellent, crisp 120Hz display
Powerful M1 Pro or M1 Max processor
Very good battery life
Good speakers and webcam
Relatively light and portable

Bad
Very expensive
Notch causes minor software bugs
Hardware is not upgradeable

Read detailed Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch 2021 review

Display size 14.20-inch

Display resolution 3024x1964 pixels

Touchscreen No

Processor Apple M1 Pro

RAM 16GB

OS macOS

SSD 512GB

Weight 1.60 kg

More Apple Laptops

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Further reading: MacOS Update, MacOS 12.2.1, MacOS, Apple, MacOS Monterey, WebKit, Security Flaw, MacBook, M1 MacBook

David Delima

Email David Delima

As a writer on technology with Gadgets 360, David Delima is interested in open-source technology, cybersecurity, consumer privacy, and loves to read and write about how the Internet works. David can be contacted via email at DavidD@ndtv.com, on Twitter at @DxDavey, and Mastodon at mstdn.social/@delima. More