Apple Releases iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2 – Security Fixes
Apple has now published security updates for older versions with iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2. Apparently, not all vulnerabilities from iOS 26.1 will be patched.
iOS 18.
(Image: Apple)
Apple released iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2 for download on Wednesday evening, three days after the release of iOS and iPadOS 26.1 with numerous security-related bug fixes. Both updates had already gone through the release candidate cycle but were then initially stopped by the manufacturer. Consequently, known vulnerabilities in iOS 18 remained unpatched for three days. There are no functional improvements with iOS 18.7.2 and iPadOS 18.7.2. Instead, “important security fixes” are being distributed, which are “recommended for all users.”
Fewer Fixes Than in iOS 26
According to the release notes, bugs were fixed in a total of 29 areas, and three additional vulnerabilities are mentioned, which Apple has not yet detailed (“Additional recognition”). The stopped vulnerabilities range from the App Store (fingerprinting possibility for attackers) and CloudKit (sandbox escape) to Kernel (system crash possible) and Model I/O (Denial of Service) and Safari (various WebKit bugs). Apple does not list remote exploits, and apparently none of the vulnerabilities are already (known to be) exploited.
Videos by heise
As usual, Apple does not fix all the bugs that were addressed in the newer iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1. How the company decides which vulnerabilities remain open is unknown. In some cases, bugs may only have existed in iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, but here too, there is no transparency from the iPhone manufacturer. Apple already admitted in 2022 that only the currently active operating system fixes all known security vulnerabilities.
Delay with iOS 18
For comparison, iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1 contain a total of 45 security-relevant improvements, plus 16 additional patches that Apple (unfortunately) does not detail further. Due to the major design changes in iOS 26 with a liquid glass interface, more users likely stayed on the old version initially this year, making the delay in patches for iOS and iPadOS 18 all the more unfortunate.
Users should install them as soon as possible. Apple has not provided patches for iOS 17 since last year. iOS 16 is only addressed for severe errors—most recently in September 2025.
Empfohlener redaktioneller Inhalt
Mit Ihrer Zustimmung wird hier ein externer Preisvergleich (heise Preisvergleich) geladen.
Ich bin damit einverstanden, dass mir externe Inhalte angezeigt werden. Damit können personenbezogene Daten an Drittplattformen (heise Preisvergleich) übermittelt werden. Mehr dazu in unserer Datenschutzerklärung.
(bsc)
