Apple has pushed out a fresh update for iPhones, iOS 18.6, and security experts are urging everyone to install it immediately. The update comes with a hefty package of 29 security fixes, some of which patch serious holes that could otherwise leave your data vulnerable to attack.
While Apple has been tight-lipped on the finer details, saying little to give hackers as little time as possible to exploit the flaws, it’s clear this isn’t an update to ignore. According to Apple’s own support page, many of the issues relate to WebKit, the engine that powers Safari.
One of these flaws, tracked as CVE-2025-4322, could allow sensitive information to leak if a user visits a malicious website. Other bugs could cause memory corruption, also triggered by dodgy web content.
On top of that, iOS 18.6 fixes a weakness in CoreMedia Playback that could let an app gain access to sensitive user data – not exactly the sort of thing you want left hanging around on your phone. Daniel Card, an independent cybersecurity consultant, highlighted one particularly concerning problem that’s been addressed.
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Card warned that the flaw could see your passcode read out by VoiceOver, while another issue could allow address bar spoofing if you stumbled onto a malicious website.
Sean Wright, head of application security at Featurespace, pointed out that the majority of flaws patched in this release are WebKit-based.
He said: “Which by its very nature are more likely to be exploited remotely”. While most of the bugs are considered limited in impact, Wright added that flaws such as CVE-2025-43227 “carry more risk” than others.
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iOS 18.6 isn’t the only update Apple has issued this week. Older iPads that can’t make the jump to iPadOS 18 are getting iPadOS 17.7.9, another security-only patch worth grabbing as soon as possible. On top of that, Apple has rolled out updates for its other products, including macOS Sequoia 15.6, watchOS 11.6 for the Apple Watch, tvOS 18.6 for Apple TV and visionOS for the Vision Pro headset.
The last major iPhone update, iOS 18.5, came out in mid-May, meaning there’s been a gap of over two months between releases. With iOS 26 expected to drop this autumn, this could well be the final patch before then unless an emergency fix is needed.
As well as plugging security gaps, iOS 18.6 clears up a few irritating bugs, including one in Photos that stopped memory movies from being shared.
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Wright says: “Overall, there is no reason to panic, but I would highly recommend that users update to iOS 18.6 as soon as possible to be on the safe side”. Card also advised making sure you have enough space in iCloud before hitting download. He said: “Some people have their iCloud full, so not only do their device back-ups not work, their updates fail”.
If you’ve got an iPhone XS or later, you can grab iOS 18.6 now by heading to Settings > General > Software Update. It might not sound exciting, but installing it could save you a big headache later on.