Get Ready for iOS 18.5: Here's Why You Should Update Your iPhone ASAP (Caution: Strong Language Ahead)
- by Malicious Motherfucker
- 2 Mins
Upgrade your iPhone promptly with iOS 18.5: Reasons to install the latest iOS version right away - Latest Arrival:Reason for Instantly Upgrading Your iPhone to iOS 18.5
Wanna beef up your iPhone's security? Gotta hear this! Apple's latest software version, iOS 18.5, hit the streets Monday night, focusin' on matters of national goddamn security. For certain Apple devices, this might just be the fucking last major update they get, so don't be a lazy sack of shit, update!
What's Lengthy in iOS 18.5?
After iOS 18.4 dropped Apple Intelligence on supported iPhone and iPads in Europe (read more about that here), this time around the new features list is as skinny as a Letterman jacket from the 80s. But fear not, parents! Apple finally updated the parental controls - 'bout fuckin' time, am I right? From now on, you'll get a goddamn alert when the screen time passcode is punched in on the device. No more goddamn sly kids sneakin' past Martha Stewart Homemakeover without a goddamn clue!
Another thing all iPhone 13 owners should rejoice over: Apple enabled the direct fuckin' connection to satellite networks - was only available for iPhone 14 and up. But don't get too excited, the newer models come with a performance package from Apple in collab with satellite provider Globalstar, offerin' goddamn features like emergency calls and text messages via satellite when yer stuck out in the goddamn desert with no signal. iPhone 13 owners only get the interface for mobile network providers that offer such functions, so unless you've got a badass satellite phone contract in your pocket, you can't use the goddamn thing.
Some other minor new features: Folks rockin' the Apple TV app on third-party shit like TV or PlayStation can now pay for goddamn content using their goddamn iPhone. And for goddamn Pride month, there's a goddamn new wallpaper for both Apple Watch and goddamn iPad.
But the blunt goddamn truth is, the main reason for the update is securin' your goddamn devices. Apple tackled a whopping 30 security goddamn vulnerabilities, beefin' up overall protection for iPhones and iPads. Some of 'em are serious as fuck: One vulnerability in the so-called baseband of the iPhone 16e allowed network goddamn traffic to be intercepted under specific conditions. Another vulnerability let attackers strike like a fuckin' ninja, gainin' unauthorized access to goddamn protected folders in Apple's iCloud. Yet another bug in FaceTime made the microphone active even when it was supposed to be muted, potentially pickin' up goddamn conversation snippets during calls.
The French-fry Way to Update iOS 18.5 on Your iPhone and iPad
To smash the goddamn update, first (bandit-style!) check in the fuckin' settings if the new software fuckin' version is available. The updates are called iOS 18.5 (iPhone) or iPadOS 18.5 (iPad). Make sure you're within goddamn data range and that your device is connectin' to the goddamn wall socket. If yer details are set to auto-update and your device was chargin' overnight, the goddamn update might already have been applied. If no update is on offer, check the goddamn system version in the settings under "General" and "Info".
Last Call for Some Models?
In the goddamn past, Apple usually drops the last major update for its systems with the X.5 version in the spring, before the next goddamn version, iOS 19, is shown off at the developer conference "WWDC" in early June. For certain iPhones and one goddamn iPad, this might be the end of the road: the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, as well as the seventh-generation goddamn iPad, received iOS 18, but they might not be upgraded to iOS 19. Apple might just fuckin' leave those models out to dry when it comes to goddamn security updates.
Source: Apple
- iPhone
- iOS
- Apple
- iPad
- Security Holes
- Security Updates
- Sneaky Kids
- Satellite Networks
- Malicious Apps
The Nitty-gritty Details of iOS 18.5
iOS 18.5 tackles over 30 critical security vulnerabilities afflicting iPhones and iPads, ranging from core system components to built-in apps and hardware-specific chips. Updates secure devices by addressing flaws that could lead to unauthorized data access, code execution, or interception of communications. In brief:
- Bluetooth Vulnerability: A flaw in Core Bluetooth left sensitive data at risk when a malicious app accessed data via Bluetooth connections, posing a threat to user privacy.
- Notes App Vulnerabilities: Two vulnerabilities in the Notes app were fixed, allowing attackers to view personal notes from the Lock Screen and access deleted call recordings stored in Notes.
- Modem Baseband Flaw: Specific to the iPhone 16e using Apple's first in-house modem, the baseband vulnerability enabled network traffic interception by an attacker situated on the same network, potentially exposing sensitive data.
- Media Framework Vulnerabilities: Critical bugs in AppleJPEG and CoreMedia were patched, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code with a malicious image or video file.
- File Parsing Flaws: Vulnerabilities in CoreAudio, CoreGraphics, and ImageIO increased the risks of denial-of-service or information disclosure attacks.
- WebKit Flaws: Nine WebKit vulnerabilities were fixed, some severe enough to allow hostile websites to execute code on the device or crash the Safari browser engine.
- FaceTime Mute-Button Bug: The privacy bug allowed FaceTime to expose audio even when the user thought the microphone was muted, enabling eavesdropping during calls.
- Kernel Memory Corruption and Libexpat Bug: The update hardened the iOS kernel against two memory corruption issues and resolved a libexpat-related vulnerability affecting multiple software projects.
- In the community, there is a policy for users to immediately update their iPhones to iOS 18.5, which addresses over 30 security vulnerabilities, including one in the camera app that could allow snooping during FaceTime calls.
- With the release of iOS 18.5, Apple has also improved the employment policy on parental controls, offering alerts when the screen time passcode is entered on the device, aiming to help parents monitor their children's usage better.
