Recent reports indicate that hundreds of millions of iPhones operating on iOS 18 may face vulnerabilities due to the leaked spyware known as DarkSword. This alarming situation arises as two advanced exploit kits have been uncovered, with experts warning that iPhone security may be compromised on a large scale. Allan Liska, chief information security officer at Recorded Future, expressed concern that the availability of DarkSword could allow broader access to exploitations, previously limited to nation-states due to high research costs.
Research findings from Google, iVerify, and Lookout revealed that DarkSword has been identified in regions including Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Malaysia. The discovery of a version on GitHub has raised red flags regarding its potential use worldwide, including in the United States. Rocky Cole, co-founder of iVerify, emphasized the gravity of the situation, suggesting that the leaked software could be exploited globally.
In response to similar threats, Apple has proactively issued security updates for older iOS versions. Concerns have been raised about the potential for exploit kits like Coruna to spread through personal contacts, prompting experts to urge users to upgrade their devices immediately to mitigate risks of exploitation.