Update your iPhone now: Apple warns users as Google uncovers Russian-linked ‘DarkSword’ spyware threat

Apple has warned iPhone users to update their iPhone after a new report revealed that a latest exploit is being actively used by Russian-linked actors to take control of phones running on older versions of iPhones.

A report by Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), along with Lookout and iVerify, had revealed on Wednesday that suspected Russian state sponsored actors were using an exploit called DarkSword to gain full control of iPhones running on iOS versions 18.4 through 18.7.

“Since at least November 2025, GTIG has observed multiple commercial surveillance vendors and suspected state-sponsored actors utilizing DarkSword in distinct campaigns. These threat actors have deployed the exploit chain against targets in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, and Ukraine.” Google said in a blogpost

Meanwhile, iVerify in a release said, “DarkSword appears to be a surveillance and intelligence gathering tool, blanket pulling data including Wi-Fi passwords, text messages, call history, root location history, browser history, SIM card and cellular data as well as health, notes and calendar databases.”

Apple responds to hacking threats:

In a statement to NBC News, Apple spokesperson Sarah O’Rourke reacted to the development stating that the two tools can only work against device that are running older versions of the company's operating system. Rourke also emphasised the importance of applying regular updates to the iPhone.

“Keeping software up to date remains the single most important thing users can do to maintain the high security of their Apple devices,”Rourke said

Notably, the report also notes that Apple had fixed all the known vulnerabilities with the iOS 26.3 update. The Cupertino based tech giant had also made a significant move of releasing a special update for iPhones that cannot run the latest iOS versions to provide critical vulnerability fixes for the exploits.

Earlier this week, Apple also released its first-ever Backgrounhd Security Improvements (BSIs) update which allows the company to provide critical security patches in between the major update cycles.

The first major BSI update release for iPhones and MacBooks fixed a high severity risk in the WebKit, the engine powering Safari and other iOS web apps. The company said that the issue was due to a cross-origin issue in the Navigation API and could allow maliciously crafted web content to bypass the Same Origin Policy

Apple also added that the issue was successfully fixed with improved input validation.