Millions of Apple users are being warned to update their devices now after an "extremely sophisticated attack". iPhone, iPad, Mac and other iOS users have been urged to download a new security patch after the hack which the company says was targeted against "specific targeted individuals".

For iPhone and iPad users with automatic updates on, the new patch should already be installed. However, those without will need to manually go into their settings and download the fixes to iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1. The company has not given any further details on who was behind the attack or who the “targeted” individuals were.

The potential for a security breach was discovered by Apple's Threat Analysis team who found two flaws which could potentially leave users vulnerable.

The team found software weaknesses which could go undetected and leave users at the mercy of unscrupulous criminals.

The list of devices impacted includes older and newer models: iPhone XS and later iPad Pro 13-inch, are all impacted as well as iPad Pro 13.9-inch 3rd generation and later.

Also at risk are iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 7th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later macOS Sequoia Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K (all models) Apple Vision Pro.

There are in excess of 2 billion users of Apple products across the world, with the devices able to store a wealth of sensitive information about their users.

Apple has often been seen as more difficult to hack than other companies, given the amount of high-tech security features installed within the devices.

Following a similar hack earlier this year, the company said: ““If you’re suspicious about an unexpected message, call, or request for personal information, such as your email address, phone number, password, security code, or money, it's safer to presume that it's a scam.”

In order to reduce the chances of being hacked, the company advises customers to choose strong, hard to guess passwords, establish two-factor authentication for your Apple account, use security keys for your account and ensure that you are the only person who knows your password and can sign in to your Apple account