Update Your iPhone Now: New ‘DarkSword’ Hack Targets Older iOS 18 Versions

Security researchers have recently discovered an attack called “DarkSword” that spreads malware to iPhones still on iOS 18.4 to 18.7.

On Wednesday, researchers from Google, Lookout, and iVerify warned about the attack, which uses a chain of multiple software vulnerabilities to remotely compromise vulnerable iPhones. 

Google also says “multiple commercial surveillance vendors and suspected state-sponsored actors” have been using DarkSword since November to hit iPhone users based in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, and Ukraine.

The security researchers discovered DarkSword while investigating another iOS “exploit kit” called “Coruna,” which a US military contractor may have developed only for the tool to fall into hands of cybercriminal groups. Disclosed earlier this month, Coruna can also hack iPhones, but only those on older versions running iOS 13 to 17.2.1.

One of the attackers found using Coruna was a suspected Russian hacking group called UNC6353. The mobile security provider Lookout has since uncovered new evidence that  UNC6353 has also been using DarkSword to target Ukrainian users in an effort to steal sensitive information, including details about cryptocurrency wallets. 

“Notably, DarkSword appears to take a ‘hit-and-run’ approach by collecting and exfiltrating the targeted data from the device within seconds or at most minutes followed by cleanup,” the company’s report added. 

(Lookout)

The security provider iVerify also says the attack works as a “1-click” exploit that can be hosted over a website to target vulnerable iPhones that visit through the Safari browser. However, UNC6353 appeared to only deliver the attack to iPhones with IP addresses based in Ukraine. To deliver the attack, the group tampered with two Ukrainian web domains, including a gov.ua domain, which will load malicious JavaScript to exploit the vulnerabilities. It doesn’t look like any interaction is required by the user outside of using Safari to visit the website.

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The resulting attack will then install malware designed to identify wallet files from cryptocurrency applications. ”The name DarkSword comes from the variable inside implant code that extracts WiFi passwords from the system: const TAG = ‘DarkSword-WIFI-DUMP’” iVerify’s report added.  

(Google)

Google’s investigation also found that uses of DarkSword trace back to November 2025. At the time, a different hacking group was using the attack through a fake Snapchat site, but to hit users based in Saudi Arabia. Later, a Turkish surveillance vendor called PARS Defense also used the exploit in Turkey and later in Malaysia to deliver malware designed to create a backdoor.

(Google)

According to Google, DarkSword can target iPhones on iOS 18.4 to 18.7, which first arrived in March 2025 and September. Apple has since transitioned to iOS 26. In total, the DarkSword attacks have been spotted using six different vulnerabilities to deploy three distinct malware strains, Google’s report adds. 

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Google says it reported the vulnerabilities to Apple late last year. “All vulnerabilities were patched with the release of iOS 26.3 (although most were patched prior),” Google’s report says. Versions iOS 18.7.3 and higher have also been patched against the threat.

Apple also told PCMag it issued an emergency software update last week to protect older devices that originally couldn’t update to more recent versions of iOS. Users running the latest versions of iOS 15 through iOS 26 are now all protected. In addition, Apple noted that DarkSword doesn’t appear to work on iPhones that’ve enabled Lockdown Mode, which users can turn on to prevent spyware threats at the cost of disabling certain features.

DarkSword underscores why it’s always a good idea to keep your devices updated with the latest software. The attack also raises concerns that sophisticated hacking tools —once considered exclusive to well-funded surveillance firms— are proliferating among cybercriminals and other hacking groups.

“The discoveries of DarkSword and previously Coruna prove that there is a second-hand market for such exploits that enables groups with more limited resources and motives other than highly targeted espionage to acquire top-of-the-line exploits and deploy them against mobile device users,” Lookout says.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Senior Reporter

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Experience

I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.

Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. Earlier this year, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how President Trump’s tariffs will affect the industry. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

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