As expected, Apple has today released revised builds of iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7, bringing a fix for the critical, actively exploited security vulnerability known as “DarkSword.” Originally released alongside iOS 26.4 and iPadOS 26.4 for devices unable to run iOS 26 or iPadOS 26, today’s revision expands availability to users who have consciously chosen not to install the version 26 upgrade.
As iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7 were not distributed to external testers prior to their release, we do not have any information on whether they contain any accessibility fixes for blind, deaf blind, or low vision users at the time of writing. However, as these updates appear to have been released to address a specific issue in a prior major version of the operating systems, we do not expect them to contain any such fixes.
Release Notes
iOS 18.7.7
This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.
iPadOS 18.7.7
This update provides important security fixes and is recommended for all users.
How to Update
iOS and iPadOS 18.7.7 are available via Over-the-Air Update (Settings > General > Software Update), via Finder on a Mac with macOS Catalina or later, or via iTunes on a PC or Mac with macOS Mojave or earlier.
PakarPBN
A Private Blog Network (PBN) is a collection of websites that are controlled by a single individual or organization and used primarily to build backlinks to a “money site” in order to influence its ranking in search engines such as Google. The core idea behind a PBN is based on the importance of backlinks in Google’s ranking algorithm. Since Google views backlinks as signals of authority and trust, some website owners attempt to artificially create these signals through a controlled network of sites.
In a typical PBN setup, the owner acquires expired or aged domains that already have existing authority, backlinks, and history. These domains are rebuilt with new content and hosted separately, often using different IP addresses, hosting providers, themes, and ownership details to make them appear unrelated. Within the content published on these sites, links are strategically placed that point to the main website the owner wants to rank higher. By doing this, the owner attempts to pass link equity (also known as “link juice”) from the PBN sites to the target website.
The purpose of a PBN is to give the impression that the target website is naturally earning links from multiple independent sources. If done effectively, this can temporarily improve keyword rankings, increase organic visibility, and drive more traffic from search results.
