Apple has said that all iPhones, iPads and Mac computers are vulnerable to a major security flaw that leaves the devices open to hacking.

The "Meltdown" and "Spectre" bugs, which were disclosed earlier this week, impact every device running the company’s iOS and macOS operating systems, as well as the Apple TV, the tech giant revealed overnight.

It means Apple devices are potentially vulnerable to hackers using malicious software to steal sensitive data such as passwords or private photos.

It said the first of the two bugs, Meltdown, had been partially solved by software updates released in December and that it had seen no evidence of cybercriminals exploiting the flaw. Spectre, which affects the Arm microchips that the iPhone and iPad use, is more difficult to guard against.

"Security researchers have recently uncovered security issues known by two names, Meltdown and Spectre," Apple said. "These issues apply to all modern processors and affect nearly all computing devices and operating systems. All Mac systems and iOS devices are affected, but there are no known exploits impacting customers at this time.”