- The latest iOS 18.6 update comes with two dozen security patches
- That includes a fix for an actively exploited vulnerability
- It’s important to update your iPhone to keep it safe
It’s important to ensure that you update your iPhone as often as possible, and that’s just been demonstrated by Apple’s iOS 18.6 release. That’s because this update comes with a vital security patch that could help keep your iPhone safe from serious threats.
According to Apple’s iOS 18.6 release notes, the update fixes several zero-day flaws that could have compromised your device – including at least one that is known to have been exploited in the wild. Zero-day vulnerabilities are those that are initially unknown to developers and security researchers, making them particularly dangerous if exploited.
The iOS 18.6 update contains 24 separate fixes ranging from accessibility bugs to problems with the WebKit engine that powers the Safari web browser, and it’s the latter that is affected by an actively exploited vulnerability.
Specifically, the bug in question is tracked as CVE-2025-6558 in the CVE system of tracking security breaches. Apple credits its discovery to Clément Lecigne and Vlad Stolyarov of Google’s Threat Analysis Group, which disclosed the existence of the bug on July 15 and noted that “Google is aware that an exploit for CVE-2025-6558 exists in the wild.”
How to update your iPhone
To download the iOS 18.6 update, open the Settings app on your iPhone and navigate to General > Software Update. Allow your iPhone to check for updates, then tap Update Now when prompted. Your phone will then download and install the patch, and it might restart several times during the process.
Apple devices are known for their strong security, but that doesn’t make them invulnerable to attack, as this update shows. The iPhone is one of the best smartphones out there, and the huge popularity of iOS among phone users makes it a ripe target for hackers, who are always looking for new ways to poke holes in Apple’s systems.
While much of the public’s attention is focused on the upcoming iOS 26 public beta release, it remains important to keep your existing devices safe and secure, no matter what operating system they’re running.
Downloading the iOS 18.6 update is one of the best ways you can do that right now to ensure you keep security threats at bay.
