A sophisticated hacking campaign against iPhone users that relied on an advanced tool called DarkSword was discovered last week. Now, as per a report by TechCrunch, a newer version of this dangerous tool has now been leaked and posted publicly on GitHub — which means your iPhone can be more easily hacked by bad actors.
Considering that roughly one-quarter of active iPhones and iPads remain on iOS 18 or older, based on Apple's data about outdated systems, hundreds of millions of users and an estimated 2.5 billion devices are reportedly exposed to potential attacks.
The leaked code included on GitHub has comments explaining how devices such as iPhones and iPads can be exploited — including detailed steps on how to deploy the malicious code. Security experts warn that this makes the tools simple for anyone to launch attacks against iPhones and iPads running older iOS versions.
The exploits are reportedly straightforward to adapt and host, and the uploaded files consist of basic HTML and JavaScript. They can be set up on a server in just minutes to hours with no specialised iOS knowledge required, as per experts. A security researcher reportedly confirmed the ease of code use by successfully compromising an iPad mini on iOS 18 with a circulating sample.
How To Keep Your iPhone, iPad Safe Against DarkSword Hacking Attacks
DarkSword specifically targets iOS 18 and earlier, allowing attackers to steal contacts, call history, messages, Wi-Fi passwords, and other sensitive data, then send it to a remote server.
To prevent that, Apple and security experts both urge users with iPhones and iPads running older iOS versions to update to the latest software updates. To update, go to Settings app, tap General, then Software Update, then Automatic Updates. Turn on either Automatically Install or Automatically Download. For manual updates, go to Software Update; if an update is available, tap Download and Install, then follow the instructions.
Users can also enable Lockdown Mode to block sophisticated digital threats. Just got to Settings app, then tap Privacy & Security, scroll down and tap Lockdown Mode and turn it on.
Also read: Apple Eyes AI Resurgence As WWDC Kicks Off On June 8
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