DarkSword: iOS 18 users receive an unscheduled update – update quickly
Actually, iOS 18 users who can should update to iOS 26 to be safe. Apple is now providing an emergency update for those who refuse to update.
iOS 18 is long gone for Apple – but not for many users yet.
(Image: Apple)
Apple will release a special update for users on Wednesday that are still using iOS 18 on their devices. The reason: They may be vulnerable to the DarkSword malware, which is being spread through various websites. Since the source code for the data destroyer is now known, it is currently spreading. Infection begins as soon as an infected page is visited in the browser. It is said to have already appeared on websites targeting users in Ukraine, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. However, it can ultimately happen anywhere, as long as criminals have control over a server.
A patched iOS 18 has been available for a long time
In iOS 26, Apple had already closed the vulnerabilities exploited by DarkSword. Patches for iOS 18 have also been available for a long time; most recently, Apple released iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7 along with iOS 26.4. The problem: These updates only run on iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, as well as iPads of the 7th generation. These are devices that can no longer run iOS 26 but work with iOS 18. For all more modern iPhones and iPads, Apple actually expects users to switch to iOS 26 or iPadOS 26. However, not all of them did, partly due to the controversial new Liquid Glass interface.
Therefore, Apple now wants to release an additional version of iOS 18 (and presumably iPadOS 18) that will deliver critical bug fixes through backporting. "We are enabling the availability of an iOS 18 update for more devices so users with auto-update enabled can automatically receive important security protections," Apple said to Wired magazine. This means Apple is also opening up the updates to devices that actually run iOS 26. However, Apple still recommends switching to iOS 26 for the "most advanced protection."
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Besides DarkSword, there was also Coruna
The process highlights the fact that Apple only delivers bug fixes partially to older versions of its operating systems or – as with iOS 26 and newer devices – not at all anymore. According to security expert Patrick Wardle, if user protection is important, critical bug fixes should also be standard for older versions.
Apple had already provided various older versions with out-of-the-ordinary fixes to protect its systems against another malware called Curona in addition to DarkSword. It shows once again that only the latest version of an Apple operating system is the best protected. This, given the annual cycle of updates that Apple continues to provide, puts users who do not want to update so quickly at risk.
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