Security Alert: 'DarkSword' Hack Puts Older iPhones at Risk, Google Says

There is a reason why iPhone owners are encouraged to always update their operating systems to ensure their phones are safe and secure from exploits that may come out of nowhere. This includes a hack, and one disturbing threat that iPhone users want to steer clear of is this reported DarkSword hack.

DarkSword is said to be an iOS exploit chain that has been used since last year, according to Google Threat Intelligence Group researchers. iPhones that may still be running on iOS versions 18.4 through 18.7 are vulnerable, especially if they accidentally come across and visit an infected website.

What DarkSword is About

Take note that unlike usual spyware that would end up hanging around a user's device, DarkSword does its mischief in a different way. According to Wired, it is a fileless hack that takes control of an iPhone's operating system and steals data.

Also, it may be hard to determine if a phone is hacked since the exploit deletes any trace of evidence that it was there after it is done stealing the user's private information.

Hence, it would be best for iPhone owners to be careful about the sites they visit. Be on the lookout for malicious iframes embedded on these pages since this is what triggers the hack. If it successfully gets through your phone, the targets would be iCloud content and messages.

However, the hack is specifically designed to access cryptocurrency wallets, according to Lookout. This clearly indicates that DarkSword was designed with malicious financial motives in mind.

Apple's Response To DarkSword Hack

After getting word of the exploit, it didn't take long for Apple to comment on the matter. Apple spokesperson Sara O'Rourke reiterated that this means that it is important to always update the iOS of phones to ensure that their devices are secure.

'Keeping software up to date remains the single most important thing users can do to maintain the high security of their Apple devices,' O'Rourke said in a report by Livemint.

According to TechCrunch, the DarkSword origins may be tied to a hacking toolkit known as Coruna, which was allegedly created for the US government by a company called Trenchant. However, the tool was not widely used until Russian users left the source code at a website that anyone could access.

Apple Patch Is the Key

The threats that DarkSword and Coruna pose should not affect iPhone users who have continuously updated their phones up to date. Apple patched the exploits with iOS 26, the yearly software release from 2025 that followed iOS 18, Engadget reported.

But the problem is that based on iOS usage stats for developers, there are still about 24% of iOS devices running on some version of iOS 18. However, phones that may be at risk are believed to be fewer.

Regardless, the best course of action to avoid getting exploited or hacked is to update to the latest iOS version from Apple. The latest release is iOS 26.3.1, an update that came out on 17 March. According to Apple, this is a security-focused update that includes patches for WebKit and Safari vulnerabilities.

So for iPhone owners who have not updated their operating systems, it would be best to do so at the earliest possible time. The last thing anyone would want is to fall prey to exploits that can compromise their device.