Some people may have been 'targeted' in an exploit that has now been updated by Apple
12:57, 13 Jan 2026Updated 13:38, 13 Jan 2026
Anyone with an iPhone is urged to keep their phone updated following a recent release from Apple. While many may feel that their iPhone can be almost invincible against hacks and other exploits, this is not always the case.
In fact, the reason why you may not hear about any security vulnerabilities with iPhones that frequently is because Apple's guidance highlights that it doesn't "disclose, discuss, or confirm security issues" until it has already investigated and made security patches available. For example, Apple's latest iOS 26.2 release has highlighted 27 security issues relating to iPhone's and other Apple products.
Some of the issues addressed by Apple in its latest update, including a serious exploit that reportedly allowed 'extremely sophisticated attacks' to be carried out on 'specific targeted individuals' who were still using iPhones that were not updated to the latest iOS software, iOS 26.
Discussing the WebKit issue on its security site, Apple said that the exploit was described as "processing maliciously crafted web content may lead to arbitrary code execution" against relevant devices. It added: "Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited in an extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals on versions of iOS before iOS 26. CVE-2025-14174 was also issued in response to this report."
A breakdown of all the main features included in iOS 26.2 can be viewed here.
How to keep your iPhone protected
If you are concerned about your iPhone's security, the first thing you should do is check to see if your phone's software is updated to the latest version of iOS, which, at the time of writing, is iOS 26.2. Guidance from Apple similarly states: "Keeping your software up to date is one of the most important things you can do to maintain your Apple product's security."
You can check to see if your iPhone is updated with the following steps:
- Go to the Settings app
- Go to General
- Press Software Update
- If an update is available, there will be the option to press Download and Install
Keep in mind that iOS 26.2 is only available on the following devices:
- iPhone SE (2nd generation)
- iPhone SE (3rd generation)
- iPhone 11 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone 12 (including Mini, Pro, and Pro Max)
- iPhone 13 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone 14 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone 15 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone 16 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone 17 (including Pro and Pro Max)
- iPhone Air
Guidance from Apple notes that if you plan on updating your iPhone, you should first back up your device using either iCloud or your computer. A full breakdown of Apple's latest security updates in iOS 26.2 can be found on its website here.