iPhones are always considered more secure than Android devices. Recently, NATO approved iPhones and iPads for handling classified information, which speaks volumes about the security of the iPhone.
However, as Wired reports, researchers from Google, iVerify and Lookout have discovered a sophisticated iPhone hacking technique called DarkSword. It’s as alarming as it sounds. The tool can silently hack any iPhone that visits an infected website without the need for any downloads or suspicious links.
The worst? Nearly a quarter of iPhone users are still using iOS 18, the version DarkSword is targeting. That’s hundreds of millions of people who are just one bad website visit away from losing everything on their phone.
What can DarkSword actually steal?
According to Lookout, DarkSword can steal passwords, photos, messages from iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram, as well as browsing history and data from the Health app. Crypto wallet credentials are also on the list, suggesting the hackers were motivated by more than espionage.
“A large number of iOS users could have all their personal information stolen simply because they visit a popular website,” said Rocky Cole, co-founder and CEO of iVerify. This level of data breaches on iPhones is alarming and unprecedented. Everything from your personal chats to your browsing history to your health data is at risk.
What makes DarkSword particularly insidious is the fact that it doesn’t install any spyware that’s hanging around. Instead, it hijacks your iPhone’s own system processes to grab data and then disappears after a reboot. Think of it as a robbery of your personal information.
Should you be worried?
A disturbing discovery from this whole fiasco is that the hackers have fully disclosed the DarkSword code on the websites they use. This means any hacker with the know-how can copy it and start targeting iPhones today.
However, if you are using the latest version of iOS 26 on your iPhone, you are safe as Apple has patched this with its iOS 26.3.1 background security update. If not, update immediately. To do this, launch the Settings app on your iPhone, go to General → Software Update and install any pending updates.
Security researchers warn that powerful hacking tools once reserved for journalists or politicians are now widely available on the black market. Regular users no longer go unnoticed.
This means you can’t always rely on your iPhone’s security. You must be careful about the websites you visit and the files or media you download, especially from unofficial sources.
