iOS 18: Apple Just Gave iPhone

Users 33 Reasons To Update Now

Along with a number of new iPhone features and 33 security fixes, Apple released iOS 18 on Monday. Simultaneously released by Apple was iOS 17.7, a security-only update for iPhone owners who prefer to hold off on updating.
iOS 18 has more than twice as many security fixes as iOS 17.7, which only has 16. Serious issues in WebKit, the engine that powers the Safari browser, and the Kernel, the core of the iPhone operating system, have been repaired in iOS 18.

Two vulnerabilities in the Kernel, identified as CVE-2024-44165 and CVE-2024-44191, that might allow an app to obtain unauthorized access to Bluetooth are among the significant concerns patched in iOS 18. Due to a vulnerability in the Sandbox (CVE-2024-40863), private data may be leaked by an app.

In the meantime, WebKit has a vulnerability called CVE-2024-40857 that could allow universal cross-site scripting to occur when maliciously created web content is processed.

Apple stated on its support page that a second Webkit problem, CVE-2024-44187, could allow a malicious website to exfiltrate data cross-origin.

A potential vulnerability in Core Bluetooth, identified as CVE-2024-44124 and addressed in iOS 17.7, could enable a malevolent Bluetooth gadget to evade pairing.
According to Sean Wright, some of the changes included in iOS 18 are “fairly significant,” such as the capability to link malevolent Bluetooth devices.

Wright contends that these vulnerabilities are unique to the iOS 18 Beta because a large number of them are absent from the 17.7 release. “My recommendation is to update as soon as possible if you are using the beta version,” he states.

Is iOS 18 or iOS 17.7?

To wait for any kinks in iOS 18 to be worked out, some users will choose to update to iOS 17.7. It is noteworthy, however, that updating to iOS 18 will increase the overall security of your iPhone.

With iOS 18, Apple has increased its focus on iPhone security updates, resulting in a wider range of patches in addition to a number of new security measures. The most noteworthy is the Passwords app, which is a major upgrade over iCloud Keychain and has all the features of a full-service password manager like 1Password.

Apple’s iOS 18 contains some cool privacy features too, such as the ability to hide sensitive apps so they can only be accessed using Face ID when others are using your device.

If your iPhone can run iOS 17, it can run iOS 18 too. However, some of the more advanced AI features coming at the end of the year are only available for iPhone 15 and later.

For users contemplating sticking with iOS 17 or moving to iOS 18, it will be a personal preference rather than a security one, says Wright. “Many people will prefer to stay on the older iOS 17 to allow the initial kinks in iOS 18 to be ironed out and that’s a perfectly reasonable to position to take.”

So, you know what to do. Go to your Settings > General > Software Update and update to iOS 18 or iOS 17.7 now.