iPhones are always considered more secure than Android devices. Recently, NATO approved iPhones and iPads to handle classified information, which speaks volumes about the iPhone’s security.
However, as reported by Wired, researchers from Google, iVerify, and Lookout have uncovered a sophisticated iPhone hacking technique called DarkSword. It is as alarming as it sounds. The tool can silently hack any iPhone that visits an infected website, no downloads or suspicious links required.
The worst part? Close to a quarter of iPhone users are still running iOS 18, the version DarkSword targets. That’s hundreds of millions of people who are 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 browser history and data from the Health app. Crypto wallet credentials are also on the list, suggesting the hackers weren’t purely motivated by espionage.
“A vast number of iOS users could have all of their personal data stolen simply for visiting a popular website,” says Rocky Cole, co-founder and CEO of iVerify. This level of data breach on iPhones is alarming and unheard of. From your personal chats to your browser history and even your health data, everything is at risk.
What makes DarkSword particularly sneaky is that it doesn’t install spyware that sticks around. Instead, it hijacks your iPhone’s own system processes to grab data, then disappears after a reboot. Think of it as a smash-and-grab for your personal data.
Should you be worried?
One unsettling revelation of this entire fiasco is that the hackers left the DarkSword code completely exposed on the websites they used. That means any hacker with the know-how can copy it and start targeting iPhones today.
However, if you are running 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 you are 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 targeting journalists or politicians, are now widely available on the black market. Regular users are no longer off the radar.
That means you can’t always rely on your iPhone to keep you safe. You need to be cautious about the websites you visit and the files or media you download, especially from unofficial sources.