iOS 18.6.2 Security Update Released for iPhone & iPad to Patch Image File Exploit
Apple has issued important security updates for iPhone and iPad, versioned as iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2. The security update addresses an actively exploited security hole pertaining to malicious image files, and given the huge number of people who share and receive funny pictures, memes, gifs, and other image files online, it’s a good idea to install this update as soon as you can onto your devices. With all that said, it’s unlikely that most people are impacted by this particular exploit, but nonetheless it’s still good security practice to install these type of updates right away when possible.
The same security patch is also available for older iPad users with iPadOS 17.7.10, along with Mac users versioned as MacOS Sequoia 15.6.1, MacOS Sonoma 14.7.8, and macOS Ventura 13.7.8.
No new features or other changes are included in the update, it is strictly security oriented.
How to Download & Install iOS 18.6.2 / iPadOS 18.6.2 Security Update
Be sure you backup iPhone or iPad to iCloud before anything else. Then installing the update is easy:
- Open the “Settings” app on your iPhone or iPad
- Go to “General”, and then go to “Software Update”
- Select to “Update Now” to download and install iOS 18.6.2 onto iPhone or iPadOS 18.6.2 on iPad
The iOS 18.6.2 update is reasonably small, but it requires a reboot to complete, and it may take a little while to install. Just be patient and let it complete on your device.
If you’re a more advanced user, you can also update your iPhone or iPad with a computer, or by using IPSW firmware files to manually install the update.
iOS 18.6.2 IPSW Firmware Download Links
The following links point to IPSW files as hosted by the Apple CDN:
- Updating…
iOS 18.6.2 Release Notes & Security Notes
Release notes with the download for iOS 18.6.2 and iPadOS 18.6.2 are brief, mentioning the important security fix:
This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.
For information on the security content of Apple software updates, please visit this website:
https://support.apple.com/100100
The security specific notes offer more details about the exploit which has been patched:
Processing a malicious image file may result in memory corruption. Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/124925
Given the nature of the exploit, it’s a good idea to update all of your eligible Apple devices.
