Apple has released an urgent new update for the iPhone and its other devices that fixes a security bug that has already been used by hackers.
Experts have warned users to update all of their devices to stay safe from the issue.
Apple said it was “aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals”. It did not say who those specific people were, but such attacks are often used on campaigners, journalists and others whose devices may be of particular interest to hackers.
It relates to ImageIO, a framework that the iPhone uses to process pictures. As such, hackers could use a malicious image to break into the phone, it said.
The update is numbered iOS 18.6.2 for the iPhone, and also comes to other Apple platforms such as the Mac.
All of those devices should prompt users to update their devices, or may automatically update if that setting is switched on. But it can be installed manually by opening the Settings app, clicking on “general” and then choosing the “software update” option.
“This latest iOS update is a powerful reminder of why you should never delay applying updates. It’s notable that Apple has explicitly warned CVE-2025-43300 may already have been exploited in the wild and allows for high-level, targeted attacks. Previous exploits of this nature have been used to target government officials, journalists, and other high-value individuals,” said Sylvain Cortes, from cyber security company Hackuity.
“With the vulnerability being actively exploited, everyone should check their iPhones immediately. Organisations handling Apple devices need to be able to identify and update all affected devices immediately, especially if they operate in at-risk fields like the legal, media and public sectors.”
