Apple plans to launch an iOS 18 update on Wednesday morning to fix vulnerabilities exploited by the DarkSword hacking tool. This comes after a number of updates directed at earlier iOS versions, particularly focusing on two vulnerabilities known as Coruna and DarkSword. Coruna impacts devices running iOS 13 through iOS 17.2.1, whereas DarkSword affects iPhones on iOS 18.4-18.7.
Both vulnerabilities make use of multiple weaknesses, mainly through WebKit, to compromise devices. In response, Apple has issued several updates, including:
– iOS 15.8.7 and iPadOS 15.8.7 for older models such as iPhone 6s and iPad Air 2.
– iOS 16.7.15 and iPadOS 16.7.15 for devices like iPhone 8 and iPad Pro 9.7-inch.
– iOS 18.7.7 and iPadOS 18.7.7 for newer models like iPhone XS and iPad 7th generation.
Although Apple has patched iOS 18 for devices that aren’t capable of running iOS 26, those that are compatible with iOS 26 but haven’t yet updated remain exposed. To remedy this situation, Apple has stated it will deliver an updated version of iOS 18 with safeguards against the DarkSword vulnerability, similar to what is included in iOS 26. Users with auto-update enabled will receive this automatically, whereas those who have it disabled can opt for the patched iOS 18 or choose to upgrade to iOS 26.
This preemptive action follows the revelation of DarkSword being publicly accessible on GitHub, heightening the risk for users. It is essential for anyone still on iOS 18 to promptly update their devices as soon as the patch is made available.