Apple releases iOS 26.5.2 early due to threats

• The update was released ahead of the usual schedule and came in response to the acceleration of AI-assisted attacks.
• The package is available for all compatible models from iPhone 11 and newer.
• The fixes concern WebKit and Kernel, and Apple says there is no evidence of active exploitation of the vulnerabilities.

Apple has released the iOS 26.5.2 update for iPhone earlier than planned to close security vulnerabilities. The company explained that it sped up the release because of AI-driven security concerns and the increasing speed at which malicious hacking tools are being created.

The update is available for all iPhones that support iOS 26, meaning models from iPhone 11 and newer. Owners of iPhone 17 and iPhone Air are moving to it from iOS 26.5.1, while the rest of the compatible models are coming from iOS 26.5.

According to Apple, there are no signs of active exploitation of these vulnerabilities in the fix. At the same time, after the details were published, the risk of exploits appearing increases for users who have not yet installed the update. Most of the fixes concern WebKit, with changes also made to the Kernel. Among the issues addressed are system crashes, crashes caused by malicious web content, memory corruption, and possible buffer overflow data interception.

The update can be installed via Settings → General → Software Update. According to the materials, the package size is about 700 MB, and installation takes less than 10 minutes.

Tags: Technology/AI/Crime