as promisedApple has released a new version of iOS 18 for all iPhone users. The update comes in response to the growing spread of a new exploit chain known as DarkSword.
Today’s update comes in the form of a new build of iOS 18.7.7 with build number 22H340 for all iPhone models.
The new iOS 18 security update is now available
Like us details last monthDarkSword is an exploit chain that affects iOS 18.4 to iOS 18.7 and was discovered by the Google Threat Intelligence Group, or GTIG. According to GTIG, there are “many commercial surveillance vendors and dubious government-sponsored actors using DarkSword in different campaigns.” It works by chaining multiple exploits together.
Apple initially responded to DarkSword by releasing new versions of iOS 18, but only for iPhone models unable to run iOS 26. This update came in the form of iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7 for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and iPad (7th generation).
However, there are iPhone users who have a device can Run iOS 26 but choose not to update. These people are exposed to the DarkSword exploit because the last iOS 18 update released for all iPhones was iOS 18.7.3 in December.
So today’s iOS 18 update is available for all iPhones still running iOS 18, whether it’s supported by iOS 26 or not.
as Wired explainsthis is something called “patch backfiring” in the security industry.
Criticism of Apple’s lack of supported patches for iOS 18 has grown over the past two weeks, as DarkSword has proliferated among hacker groups that use the tool for everything from espionage to cryptocurrency theft. According to GoogleDarkSword has been used by various hacker groups to jailbreak the iPhones of users in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Ukraine.
iPhone users who have enabled automatic update will receive this iOS 18 update automatically. in his statement to Wired On Tuesday, Apple said it was releasing the update “so that users who have enabled automatic updating can automatically receive important security protections.”
“We encourage all users with supported devices to update to iOS 26 to get our most advanced protections,” Apple said.
apple was released The numbers, which received the first batch of iOS 26 in February, said that iOS 26 was installed on 74% of iPhones released in the last four years.
iPhone users can install today’s iOS 18 security update by going to the Settings app, selecting General, then Software Update. If you enable automatic update on your device, the update should be installed automatically.
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