Yesterday, Apple released Rapid Security Responses (RSR’s) for iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1.

However, not long after it’s released people started to see issues accessing certain websites via Safari.

In response to this, Apple posted the above shown KB. This KB advises Rapid Security Responses iOS 16.5.1 (b), iPadOS 16.5.1 (b), and macOS 13.4.1 (b) will be available soon to address this issue, and how to remove the RSR’s.

See below for some more details on the issue affecting the iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1 RSR’s, how to remove and detect.

What’s the issue?

After applying the (a) Rapid Security Responses for iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1, people started to see issues like the above when accessing Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Zoom, and other websites via Safari.

Removal

Apple has detailed in both the original iOS 16.5.1, iPadOS 16.5.1, and macOS 13.4.1 KB’s and the follow up If you applied Rapid Security Response iOS 16.5.1 (a), iPadOS 16.5.1 (a), or macOS Ventura 13.4.1 (a), how to remove the RSR.

This boils down to manual removal (as is the way with all RSR’s), and the steps to remove as per the below:

iPhone or iPad: Open Settings > About > iOS Version, then tap “Remove Security Response.” Tap Remove to confirm.

Mac: Choose the Apple menu  > About this Mac, then click More Information. Under macOS, click the Info (i) button next to the version number. Click Remove and Restart, then click to confirm.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT213825

Detection using Jamf Pro

Starting with Jamf Pro 10.46.0, Jamf added supported for reporting on RSR versions via the declarative device management status channel and can be located under the Operating System of a device record.

As such, you can search within your Jamf Pro instance for devices with the RSR and advise accordingly.

Detecting RSR releases locally on macOS

In the talk that is the subject of my prior post, I detailed a method to get the RSR release details of macOS locally.

Well, starting with macOS Ventura the sw_vers binary has been updated with a new flag, named: ProductVersionExtra

The below is taken from the sw_vers man page and details this new flag:

The ProductVersionExtra property defines the Rapid Security Response version, if one is installed on the operating system (for example, “(a)” or “(b)”). 

What this omits, is that when there is no RSR installed the ProductVersionExtra then returns nothing.

Anyways, this can be employed to check to see if a macOS device is running an RSR.