Apple is preparing to release the iOS 18.4 update to all users in April, but before that happens, the tech giant is telling everyone to download iOS 18.3.2 now. The company released iOS 18.3.2 on March 11 and said it fixes a streaming playback bug. Still, more importantly, it patches a security issue that might have been actively exploited in an “extremely sophisticated attack.”
You can download the update by going to Settings > General > Software Update, tapping Update Now and following the prompts on your screen.
Read more: An Expert Guide to iOS 18
According to Apple’s release notes, iOS 18.3.2 patches a security issue in WebKit, the company’s in-house internet browser engine that is used in Safari. Apple wrote that maliciously crafted content could break out of the Web Content sandbox.
A sandbox is not just clever internet developer jargon. It’s an isolated virtual environment where programs, code and other files can be run and tested to see how they behave. According to cybersecurity company Proofpoint, “Browsers have their own sandboxes to separate malicious applications that run on the web from accessing local machine resources.” It provides an extra security layer on your device, and if web content can break out of the sandbox, that content could access your device’s data.
Apple said this issue might have been used against specific individuals running a version of iOS prior to iOS 17.2 and that the latest update is a “supplementary fix.” While you might not have iOS 17.2 or be the intended target, you should still download the update now to ensure you have the most protection available for you and your data.
While it’s not unusual for Apple to release security updates like this between other, more feature-heavy updates, it is unusual for the company to release two security updates about a month apart. Apple released iOS 18.3.1 on Feb. 10, and that update also patched a security issue that the company said might have been actively exploited and used against targeted individuals.
The main difference between these two updates is iOS 18.3.1 patched a flaw that could have allowed someone to physically connect to your iPhone and access your data. So a person would have to be near you to exploit that vulnerability before the update. But the latest update patches a flaw that could be exploited over the internet, potentially from thousands of miles away. Downloading iOS 18.3.2 should protect you from this latest threat.
For more on iOS 18, here are the features iOS 18.3 and iOS 18.2 brought to your iPhone. You can also check out our iOS 18 cheat sheet.
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