Recently, a dangerous new version of the hacking tool DarkSword appeared online, putting millions of iPhones and iPads in jeopardy. The tool, which was uploaded to GitHub, can be used by anyone to exploit devices running older versions of iOS, especially those that haven’t yet updated to iOS 26. Cybersecurity researchers are now warning that hundreds of millions of devices could be vulnerable.
“This is bad. They are way too easy to repurpose,” Matthias Frielingsdorf, co-founder of mobile security startup iVerify told Tech Crunch. “I don’t think that can be contained anymore. So we need to expect criminals and others to start deploying this.” According to Frielingsdorf, the leaked files are simple HTML and JavaScript. “The exploits will work out of the box. There is no iOS expertise required,” he added, saying just how easily the tool can be used.
Without mentioning any names, the report stated that Google’s security experts agree with this assessment. Meanwhile, a security hobbyist known on X as Matteyeux demonstrated that even an iPad mini running iOS 18, an older version of Apple’s operating system, could be hacked using the leaked DarkSword files. Once installed, the spyware can access contacts, messages, call history, Wi-Fi passwords, and other sensitive information, sending it directly to servers controlled by attackers.
Apple says it is aware of this issue, urges iPhone users to install new security update
Apple has acknowledged the threat and reminded users to update their devices. “Keeping your software up to date is the single most important thing you can do to maintain the security of your Apple products,” Apple spokesperson Sarah O’Rourke told TechCrunch. The company issued an emergency update on March 11 for devices that cannot run the latest iOS versions. Apple also noted that Lockdown Mode can prevent these specific attacks from working.
The number of devices at risk is significant. Apple’s official support website says roughly a quarter of all iPhones and iPads are still operating on iOS 18 or older versions. Since the company claims that over 2.5 billion active devices are in the world, the number suggests that hundreds of millions of Apple devices are at risk.
Hence, all iPhone users are advised to head to the Settings section and look for a new security update that Apple has rolled out to devices. Installing this update will help make your iPhone risk-free from such threats. For those who keep their devices updated, the risk is much lower but for those on older iOS versions, the danger is real and immediate.
