Danger! iPhones Can Be Hacked Just by Opening a Website, Hundreds of Millions at Risk

Cybersecurity researchers have revealed a new iPhone hacking technique named DarkSword, which poses a potential threat to hundreds of millions of iPhones, especially devices that have not been updated to the latest iOS version.

This iPhone hacking technique is still freely circulating on the internet and is reportedly easy for hackers to use.

This was disclosed by researchers from Google, along with the cybersecurity firms iVerify and Lookout.

They state that DarkSword has been employed in various espionage and cybercrime campaigns, including by hacking groups suspected to be linked to Russia.

So, how does DarkSword work? Unlike typical iPhone hacking methods that are highly targeted and rarely encountered, DarkSword is instead distributed widely through compromised websites.

This means iPhones can be hacked merely by opening a malicious website designed by hackers. The iPhone device can thus be compromised without the user’s awareness.

“A large number of iOS users could lose all their personal data just by opening a popular site created by hackers,” said iVerify CEO Rocky Cole in a statement.

DarkSword is known to target devices still running iOS 18, an older version of the operating system (OS) before Apple released iOS 26.

Although Apple has already issued security updates, Apple’s latest data indicates that about a quarter (approximately 20 percent) of iPhone users are still using iOS 18.

The total number of iOS users worldwide as of 2026 is around 1.4 billion. This means hundreds of millions of devices remain vulnerable.

In contrast, devices updated to the latest iOS version, iOS 26, are said to be unaffected or uninfected by DarkSword.

According to Lookout, DarkSword is designed to steal various sensitive data from victims’ iPhones, including:

This attack has the potential to be used for espionage to financial theft.