DarkSword: iPhone Exploit Code Is Now Public

A newer version of DarkSword, an iPhone exploit kit, was posted on GitHub over the weekend. Security researchers who've looked at the code say it's surprisingly easy to repurpose. No deep iOS expertise needed.

DarkSword targets iPhones by chaining multiple vulnerabilities to gain control of a device and access contacts, messages, passwords, and crypto wallet data. The code is mostly HTML and JavaScript, so someone could host it and send links to victims. Apple has already patched the vulnerabilities it relies on in recent iOS updates, so the real risk is for people running older versions of the software.

What to Do

• Update to the latest iOS version if you haven't.
• If you're on iOS 18, check for the March 11 update.
• Enable Lockdown Mode if you want extra protection.
• Be cautious with links from unknown senders.

If your iPhone is fully up to date, you're fine.

Most of the time, these things don’t affect you. Until they do. Updates are boring, but this is why they exist. If you're on an older version, maybe now's the time to hit update.