Last week, security researchers uncovered an advanced hacking tool called “DarkSword” being used to target iPhone users. Tam sim no, ib qho hloov tshiab ntawm cov cuab yeej tau xau ntawm GitHub, ua rau muaj kev txhawj xeeb thoob plaws.
Cov kws tshawb fawb ceeb toom tias txhua tus hacker tuaj yeem yooj yim siv cov cuab yeej los tsom iPhone thiab iPad cov neeg siv uas tsis tau hloov kho rau qhov tseeb iOS 26 system. Raws li Apple tus kheej cov ntaub ntawv, tus naj npawb ntawm cov khoom siv cuam tshuam tuaj yeem ncav cuag ntau pua lab.
“Qhov no yog qhov tsis zoo. Cov cuab yeej no yog txoj kev yooj yim dhau los repurpose,” hais tias Matthias Frielingsdorf, co-founder ntawm mobile kev ruaj ntseg ruaj khov iVerify. “Criminals yuav pib deploying nws sai sai.”
Nws sau tseg tias cov ntaub ntawv leaked yog cia li HTML thiab JavaScript, uas leej twg yuav deploy tsis pub dhau feeb. Google pab pawg kev ruaj ntseg pom zoo nrog qhov kev ntsuam xyuas no. One security hobbyist said he had already used a sample circulating online to hack into an iPad running iOS 18.
Apple spokesperson Sarah O’Rourke said the company is aware of the vulnerability and issued an emergency patch on March 11 for devices unable to update to the latest system. “Keeping your software up to date is the most important thing you can do to stay secure,” she said, adding that updated devices and those with Lockdown Mode enabled are not affected.
The leaked code contains detailed comments describing how to steal sensitive information from target devices—including contacts, W, call history, and Wi-Fi passwords—and send it to servers controlled by attackers. The code also references uploading data to a Ukrainian website, though the reason remains unclear.
According to analyses from multiple security firms, “DarkSword” specifically targets devices running iOS 18 and earlier versions. Apple data shows that about a quarter of users are still on these older systems, which—given there are more than 2.5 billion active devices—means hundreds of millions of users remain at risk.
Researchers recommend that all iPhone users update their operating systems as soon as possible to protect against potential attacks.