• Source:JND

Apple has begun pushing out its updates iOS 26.4.2 and iPadOS 26.4.2 within two weeks since the release of iOS 26.4.1. The new software update centres on addressing a security weakness related to message notifications that had sparked concerns about privacy.

The Problem

The security issue relates to how the notification data is stored on iPhones running previous versions of iOS. Despite deleting the messages, there were instances where the notification data was kept by the phone. This implies that under particular circumstances, it was possible to retrieve the content of deleted messages by examining the notification data.

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It emerged that this vulnerability, tracked with CVE-2026-28950, attracted attention following a claim that the FBI had accessed deleted message content of Signal using its notification data.

What iOS 26.4.2 Fixes

With iOS 26.4.2, Apple has addressed this issue by improving how notification data is handled and stored. The company said that notifications marked for deletion could previously be “unexpectedly retained,” but this has now been fixed with better data redaction.

In simple terms, once the update is installed, previously stored notification data linked to deleted messages will be cleared, and future notifications will no longer be retained in this way.

Devices Getting The Update

The update is available for a wide range of devices, including iPhone 11 and newer models. On the iPad side, it supports iPad Pro (12.9-inch third generation and later), iPad Pro (11-inch first generation and later), iPad Air (third generation and later), iPad (eighth generation and later), and iPad mini (fifth generation and later).

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Why This Matters

While Apple described the update as a mix of bug fixes and security improvements, the notification issue stands out because of its privacy implications. Even though messages were deleted, traces of them could still remain in the system, which is not something users typically expect.

Following the fix, Signal confirmed that users don’t need to take any additional steps apart from updating their devices. Once updated, the system will automatically remove any previously retained notification data and prevent this from happening again.


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