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Espionage and cybercriminal campaigns have recently deployed iPhone hacking techniques, embedding them in infected websites to target thousands of iPhones. A particularly sophisticated technique, known as DarkSword, has been discovered by researchers at Google and cybersecurity firms iVerify and Lookout.
DarkSword is capable of silently taking over any iOS device running an older version of Apple’s operating system, including nearly a quarter of iPhones according to Apple's own data. The vulnerability lies in the fact that many users are still using outdated versions of the software. Researchers warn that hundreds of millions of iPhone users remain vulnerable.
The hacking campaign using DarkSword has been spotted by Google in Russian state-sponsored espionage groups and other hacker groups. However, it appears to have originated from different developers than another advanced hacking toolkit called Coruna. Both tools were embedded in legitimate Ukrainian websites, including news outlets and government agency sites, to harvest data.
In addition to the Russian spy campaign, DarkSword has also been used to compromise phones of victims in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Malaysia. The security firm PARS Defense appears to have employed this intrusion tool for some of their targets. This widespread use suggests that more hacking groups may adopt the technique due to its ease of deployment.
A concerning aspect is that the Russian hackers who recently used DarkSword left the full code on infected websites, complete with explanatory comments in English and the name.