Apple issues urgent iPhone update to fix security flaw

Apple has an urgent message for iPhone and iPad owners: Make sure you download the newest iOS update for your device.

The latest updates -- iOS 9.3.3 on iPhones and iPads, as well as OS X 10.11.6 for computers, tvOS 9.2.2 for Apple TV and watchOS 2.2.2 -- patches a hole that could let a hacker steal information from your device.

Without the update, your device could be compromised if you receive an infected iMessage or e-mail that contains a bad *.tiff image file. The file contains a code that gives hackers access to everything stored on your phone including your passwords. The worse part - you don't have to download anything for the malware to be installed since iMessage and Safari automatically render an "image" as soon as it is received.

You can, however, turn off iMessage on your phone and disable MMS messaging, to prevent your device from automatically downloading any images, malicious or otherwise.

Many people don't worry about malware on Apple devices, unlike Windows computers, but this is one of those rare cases where iPhones have a vulnerability to a specific threat. Also, Apple calls this an update you don't want to ignore.

Devices should prompt users to install the updates. To check to make sure you're running the latest version, go to Settings: General: Software Update or go to this Apple support page.