iPhone gets major iOS 26 update to combat AI-assisted hacks

As Apple continues to test iOS 26.6 and iOS 27, the company surprised users by releasing iOS 26.5.2, iPadOS 26.5.2, and macOS Tahoe 26.5.2. However, as small as this update may seem, it actually contains a long list of security fixes, in addition to a very important fix to combat AI-assisted hacks. To Reuters, the publication said that “given artificial intelligence’s ability to accelerate the development of malicious hacking tools, it was expected to reduce the time between when updates are first made public and when they get into the hands of customers.”

While it appears that none of the fixed bugs were actively exploited by hackers, this should serve as a reminder for users to update their devices as soon as possible, as they could be vulnerable to an attack. iOS 26 is available from iPhone 11 to the latest iPhone models, meaning that while most of the newer features have been reserved for devices with Apple Intelligence, these security fixes ensure that users’ data remains safe and they can continue to use their phone as normal.

Interestingly enough, this update comes after Apple became one of the partners in Anthropic’s Project Glasswing, which uses Claude Mythos Preview to help fix vulnerabilities that hackers could or could use Claude to break into devices. This powerful AI tool is only available to select companies and could play an important role in improving our device software updates with security improvements.

With iOS 26.5.2 (and a new beta version of iOS 26.6), Apple has detailed more than 25 fixes available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. Most of the risks were associated with WebKit, the engine that powers Safari and all other web browsers on iOS. Basically, hackers target WebKit because it allows them to surprise users. Over the past few years, Apple has patched several flaws where simply visiting a malicious website could unleash disaster on people’s phones.

This update helps protect users from bad websites that could crash Safari, view your private data from other tabs, or even sneak past Safari’s security sandbox to interact with the rest of your phone. One of the fixes, for example, is in WebKit storage; where a shady site could silently hijack your clipboard data, which could theoretically allow a website to see the text or password you recently copied.

Regarding fixes to the iPhone kernel, which is the heart of the operating system, Apple fixed three separate flaws. Without this, a malicious app downloaded to your device could exploit these flaws to write memory directly to the kernel or cause a complete system crash. In the worst case, this could allow an app to break out of its restricted area and access your private device state.

Updating to iOS 26.5.2 is one of the easiest ways to protect your device (and your data). To ensure you always get the latest update, you should enable automatic updates for the operating system and individual applications. This way, whenever your phone is connected to power and a reliable connection, it will update everything. Additionally, as recent regulatory rules push Apple to open up the ecosystem in regions like Europe and Brazil, you should continue to download apps through the App Store. Apple uses strict sandboxing and automated malware scanning before an app reaches a device.

Another good tip is to update your hardware whenever possible. After all, some improvements can also be related to the internal components, like a more secure and advanced processor, chips, etc. There are devices (not just Apple, obviously) where even a software patch might not be enough to fix a flaw discovered on the device. This is not because companies haven’t developed a good enough product, but because hackers have had time to test and stress these devices in every way possible.

Last but not least, be careful when connecting to public Wi-Fi, USB ports in public areas and even check the permissions you give to apps, as if Apple does not require a specific permission to work, you should remove it.