Apple Will Push Out Rare ‘Backported’ Patches to Protect iOS 18 Users From DarkSword Hacking Tool
Apple Will Push Out Rare ‘Backported’ Patches to Protect iOS 18 Users From DarkSword Hacking Tool
Publish Date: 2026-03-31 20:49:00
Source Domain: www.wired.com
Last week, DarkSword was then posted to open source code repository GitHub, making it all the more accessible. Security firms Malfors and Proofpoint soon after warned that another Russian hacker group linked to the Kremlin’s FSB intelligence agency was sending out phishing emails that used the technique. Independent security researcher Johnny Franks tells WIRED that he found yet another new, active domain—a fake website written in English, capable of infecting US-based users—that was part of a DarkSword hacking campaign as late as Thursday of last week, a finding confirmed by mobile security firm iVerify.
Despite DarkSword’s growing threat to iOS 18 users, many stubbornly refused to update to iOS 26. On Reddit channels related to cybersecurity and iOS, some self-identified iPhone owners discussing DarkSword argued that Apple seemed to be taking advantage of the DarkSword hacking campaigns to push them onto its latest OS version, which some have found to be slow or overly animated.
“Apple is trying to force you onto the dumpster fire that is liquid glass,” one Reddit user wrote.
“If this is so serious, why wouldn’t Apple insert a fix into iOS 18.x,” another Redditor named asked.
“It’s all bullshit propaganda!” another user wrote. “Not updating my phone is perfect on iOS 18.1.1.”
For cybersecurity experts who have been waiting for Apple to act, the company’s move to now cater to those stubborn iOS 18 users received “better-late-than-never” reviews. “Apple is now, finally, doing this for the DarkSword exploits, but only after they were already being abused by other attackers, putting iOS users at risk,” says Patrick Wardle, a former NSA hacker and now the CEO of the Apple-device-focused security firm DoubleYou. “If protecting users actually matters, backporting critical fixes should be standard, not the exception.”
DarkSword is, in fact, the second sophisticated, in-the-wild iPhone hacking technique in just the last month that’s inspired…
