Apple issued a new release of the iPhone OS Tuesday that patches a number of security holes, including several that could allow hackers to take control of the portable devices.
Version 3.1.3 also offers a number of minor enhancements and bug fixes. The software is available at iTunes.
The security fixes apply to the operating system's CoreAudio, ImageIO, Recovery mode and WebKit components, according to the Apple security update page.
Apple said three of the vulnerabilities could allow a hacker to take control of a user's iPhone or iPod Touch and run code remotely. Another could allow someone with physical access to a locked device to bypass the password and access the device's data.
Apple said a bug fix corrects a glitch that caused applications to crash when using a keyboard based on Japanese Kana script. The updated OS also improves the accuracy of the iPhone's battery-level reporting function.
