diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 51261ab5..de1d8e66 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,13 @@
+1.7.18 (May 13, 2024)
+======
+Fixes:
+------
+* Add NULL check to cJSON_SetValuestring()(CVE-2024-31755), see #839 and #840
+* Remove non-functional list handling of compiler flags, see #851
+* Fix heap buffer overflow, see #852
+* remove misused optimization flag -01, see #854
+* Set free'd pointers to NULL whenever they are not reassigned immediately after, see #855 and #833
+
 1.7.17 (Dec 26, 2023)
 ======
 Fixes:
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1f204375..36a6cb57 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ set(CMAKE_LEGACY_CYGWIN_WIN32 0)
 cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.0)
 
 project(cJSON
-    VERSION 1.7.17
+    VERSION 1.7.18
     LANGUAGES C)
 
 cmake_policy(SET CMP0054 NEW)  # set CMP0054 policy
diff --git a/CONTRIBUTORS.md b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
index a9a42c89..494d5d68 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTORS.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTORS.md
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ Contributors:
 * [Kevin Sapper](https://github.com/sappo)
 * [Kyle Chisholm](https://github.com/ChisholmKyle)
 * [Linus Wallgren](https://github.com/ecksun)
+* [Luo Jin](https://github.com/Up-wind)
+* [Max](https://github.com/maebex)
 * [MaxBrandtner](https://github.com/MaxBrandtner)
 * [Mateusz Szafoni](https://github.com/raiden00pl)
 * Mike Pontillo
@@ -55,6 +57,7 @@ Contributors:
 * [Moorthy](https://github.com/moorthy-bs)
 * [myd7349](https://github.com/myd7349)
 * [NancyLi1013](https://github.com/NancyLi1013)
+* [Orri](https://github.com/sbvoxel)
 * Paulo Antonio Alvarez
 * [Paweł Malowany](https://github.com/PawelMalowany)
 * [Pawel Winogrodzki](https://github.com/PawelWMS)
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index bc762e05..00ef8073 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ CJSON_TEST_SRC = cJSON.c test.c
 
 LDLIBS = -lm
 
-LIBVERSION = 1.7.17
+LIBVERSION = 1.7.18
 CJSON_SOVERSION = 1
 UTILS_SOVERSION = 1
 
diff --git a/cJSON.c b/cJSON.c
index 6f55820f..61483d90 100644
--- a/cJSON.c
+++ b/cJSON.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ CJSON_PUBLIC(double) cJSON_GetNumberValue(const cJSON * const item)
 }
 
 /* This is a safeguard to prevent copy-pasters from using incompatible C and header files */
-#if (CJSON_VERSION_MAJOR != 1) || (CJSON_VERSION_MINOR != 7) || (CJSON_VERSION_PATCH != 17)
+#if (CJSON_VERSION_MAJOR != 1) || (CJSON_VERSION_MINOR != 7) || (CJSON_VERSION_PATCH != 18)
     #error cJSON.h and cJSON.c have different versions. Make sure that both have the same.
 #endif
 
diff --git a/cJSON.h b/cJSON.h
index 218cc9ea..88cf0bcf 100644
--- a/cJSON.h
+++ b/cJSON.h
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ then using the CJSON_API_VISIBILITY flag to "export" the same symbols the way CJ
 /* project version */
 #define CJSON_VERSION_MAJOR 1
 #define CJSON_VERSION_MINOR 7
-#define CJSON_VERSION_PATCH 17
+#define CJSON_VERSION_PATCH 18
 
 #include <stddef.h>