A new, dangerous version of the hacking tool known as DarkSword has recently appeared online, putting millions of iPhones and iPads at risk.
This tool was published on the GitHub platform, making it available to everyone, and it is easy to exploit it to hack devices running old versions of the iOS operating system, especially those that have not been updated to iOS 26 yet.
Cybersecurity experts warn that hundreds of millions of devices may be vulnerable to these attacks.
Ease of use increases the risk of attack. “The danger of the tool lies not only in its power, but in its ease of use,” Matthias Frelingsdorf, co-founder of iVerify, told TechCrunch.
He explained that the leaked files rely on simple codes such as HTML and JavaScript, which makes it possible to operate them without requiring significant experience in the iOS system.
He added that these tools “work immediately once they are used,” which means that anyone can easily exploit them, which opens the door to their use by criminal actors.
Security experts confirm the seriousness of the situation. The report noted that Google’s security experts agree with this assessment, stressing that the threat is real and widespread.
In a practical experiment, a cybersecurity amateur known as Matteyeux on the X platform was able to hack an iPad mini running iOS 18 using leaked files from DarkSword.
Once the spyware is installed, it can access:
– Contacts
– Messages
– Call log
– Wi-Fi passwords
-And other sensitive data
This information is sent directly to servers controlled by the attackers.
Apple responds and warns users. Apple has acknowledged the threat and urged users to update their devices immediately.
“Keeping the system up to date is the most important step to protecting Apple devices,” company spokeswoman Sarah O’Rourke confirmed.
The company has already issued an emergency security update on March 11 for devices that cannot run the latest versions of iOS, and has also indicated that activating Lockdown Mode can specifically prevent these attacks from working.
Hundreds of millions of devices are at risk. The seriousness of the situation lies in the size of the vulnerable devices. According to Apple’s official support website, about a quarter of iPhone and iPad devices are still running iOS 18 or earlier versions.
With more than 2.5 billion active devices around the world, this means that hundreds of millions of devices could be vulnerable to this vulnerability.
How do you protect your device from this threat? Experts advise all iPhone and iPad users to take immediate steps to secure their devices, including:
– Go to Settings and check for a new update
– Install the latest security update available from Apple
– Activate Lockdown Mode for additional protection
– Avoid downloading unreliable files or links
Experts confirm that users who are keen to update their devices regularly are less vulnerable to these risks, while the risk remains significant and immediate on devices running old versions.
A real threat requires quick action. With DarkSword’s ease of use and public outreach, the threat is no longer theoretical but a reality that can affect a huge number of users.
Therefore, constantly updating the system and taking basic protection measures remains the first line of defense against these increasing attacks in the world of cybersecurity.
