iPhone Spyware: Millions at Risk – Update Now!

Apple on Thursday issued a warning to iPhone users, urging them to update their devices’ operating systems to protect against a sophisticated spyware tool dubbed DarkSword. The alert follows reports that the malware has been used in targeted attacks against individuals in Ukraine, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Malaysia, according to cybersecurity researchers at Google, Lookout, and iVerify.

The DarkSword exploit chain, researchers say, leverages six different vulnerabilities to compromise iOS devices. Once installed, the spyware can steal sensitive data, including emails, usernames, passwords, photos, and even cryptocurrency wallet information. Lookout described the malware as “highly sophisticated” and “a professionally designed platform.”

The vulnerability affects iPhones running older versions of iOS, specifically those released between March and August 2025 (versions 18.4 to 18.6.2). Estimates suggest that between 220 and 270 million iPhones may still be running these vulnerable operating systems. Apple has released iOS 26.3, along with updates for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS, to address the security flaw and other vulnerabilities.

Google’s Threat Analysis Group initially discovered a critical memory corruption flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-20700, within Apple’s Dynamic Link Editor (dyld) – a core component present since the original iPhone in 2007. This flaw allowed attackers to execute arbitrary code on compromised devices. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a remediation deadline of March 5, 2026, for federal agencies to address the vulnerability.

The discovery of DarkSword comes on the heels of another sophisticated iPhone spyware tool, Coruna, revealed in early March by Google and iVerify. Both DarkSword and Coruna were found on servers linked to suspected Russian operators, indicating a growing market for mobile malware. Researchers noted that the two hacking tools suggest a flourishing market for malware.

While initial reports did not indicate any hacks targeting American users, cybersecurity experts warn that the widespread availability of DarkSword poses a significant threat. Damon McCoy, a professor and co-director of the Center for Cyber Security at New York University, stated that “there’s still probably quite a few people that are still running this outdated version of iOS, and those people are quite vulnerable.” Apple has not yet commented on the specific number of users affected or the extent of the attacks beyond the initial reports.