macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 solves MacBook Pro charging problems

Today, Apple released a small update for macOS Big Sur, numbered 11.2.1. First, it fixes an issue that affected some MacBook Pro models that prevented batteries from charging properly.

The update also fixed a sudo bug that could, in some cases, contribute to allowing an attacker to gain root access to the device, in addition to some other security-related updates.

Apple has also released complementary updates for Catalina 10.15.7 and Mojave 10.14.6 to address the same security issues.

Apple’s very short release notes for this update are as follows:

MacOS Big Sur 11.2.1 addresses an issue that may prevent battery charging on some MacBook Pro 2016 and 2017 models.

Some features may not be available for all regions or on all Apple devices. For more detailed information about this update, visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT211896 For detailed information about the security content of this update, visit: https://support.apple.com/kb/ HT201222

For more information on security changes, here are the notes from Apple’s documentation:

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 off-limits recording was handled with improved input validation.
CVE-2021-1805: ABC Research sro 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 treated with additional validation.
CVE-2021-1806: ABC Research sro 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 can elevate their privileges
Description: This issue was addressed with the update to sudo version 1.9.5p2.
CVE-2021-3156: Qualys

Updates are available for all supported Macs starting today. The last update for macOS was very recent: macOS Big Sur 11.2 was released on February 1st. It fixed issues related to Bluetooth connectivity, external monitors and more.