Your iPhone is at serious risk of getting hacked if you haven’t updated it recently. Apple and security researchers warn that a sophisticated hacking tool known as DarkSword can compromise iPhones through malicious websites.
The fix is easy and available for every iOS device since 2015. Plus, it doesn’t require you to install iOS 26 or put Liquid Glass on your handset.
Go do it now!
DarkSword targets iPhones with outdated iOS versions
DarkSword has been much in the news recently. And while its reputation is slightly overblown, the threat is serious enough for Apple to release several special iOS versions for older iPhones just to combat it.
“DarkSword” is the name researchers gave to a sophisticated set of hacking tools that can break into an iPhone by exploiting hidden flaws in its software, sometimes through an act as simple as visiting a malicious or compromised website. Rather than a single piece of malware, it is a chain of techniques that work together to bypass Apple’s security protections, potentially allowing attackers to access personal data, monitor activity or install spyware without the user realizing it.
Security experts say these kinds of tools are typically used in targeted attacks rather than widespread campaigns, but they underscore why keeping an iPhone updated with the latest software is critical to staying protected.
“DarkSword isn’t a phishing attack that requires a user to make a mistake. It’s a web-based exploit chain that can compromise a device simply by visiting a website, including legitimate sites that have been breached. That changes the risk calculus entirely,” warned Adam Boynton, a senior security specialist at Jamf.
And this isn’t a theoretical threat. Some of the vulnerabilities exploited by DarkSword have already been found in the wild, meaning hackers were using them before fixes were available. And the DarkSword exploit toolkit can be downloaded from GitHub, so it’s easily available.
Protecting your iPhone is easy
Good news: If your iPhone runs iOS 26.4, which Apple introduced in March, you’re covered. Apple patched the security holes exploited by DarkSword in that version.
“Keeping your software up to date is the single most important thing you can do to maintain the security of your Apple products, and devices with updated software were not at risk from these reported attacks,” said Apple in a support document.
But Apple decided that wasn’t enough because some iPhone users deliberately avoid iOS 26 because they’ve read too many complaints about the new Liquid Glass look of the operating system.
“Apple’s own figures show one in five iPhones are still running iOS 18,” said Jamf’s Boynton.
The result? On Wednesday, Apple released an updated version of iOS 18.7.7 for every model since the iPhone XR, up to all variants of the iPhone 16. The Mac-maker specifically says this includes “fixes associated with the DarkSword exploit.”
And Apple didn’t leave older models out in the cold. The company released a software update for iOS 15 and iOS 16 on March 11 that brings protection from DarkSword to older devices that cannot update to newer versions of the iPhone’s operating system.
That’s how big a threat Apple thinks DarkSword is: dangerous enough to introduce a system software update to protect the iPhone 6s, a handset introduced in 2015.
AI image: Gemini/Cult of Mac
Block DarkSword on your iPhone today
The message from Apple is clear: If your iPhone isn’t up to date, you could be at risk. Protecting it by installing patched software takes just a few minutes — and could prevent serious problems. You really don’t want hackers reading your private messages, accessing photos and files, tracking location data or monitoring activity across apps — all possible with DarkSword.
And again, you don’t need to upgrade to iOS 26 if you’re not ready. iOS 18.7.7 is available, and all it does is block this exploit.
So go update your iPhone now. It’s easy. Install the latest update by going to Settings, tapping General, and selecting Software Update.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
