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Researchers uncover new DarkSword spyware variant affecting unpatched iPhones

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Researchers uncover new DarkSword spyware variant affecting unpatched iPhones

iVerify released a report today detailing P7 DarkSword, a new variant of the malware associated with the DarkSword iPhone exploit chain uncovered earlier this year. Here are the details.

Earlier this year, Google and iVerify revealed two sophisticated iPhone hacking tools known as Coruna and DarkSword, both of which chained multiple iOS vulnerabilities to compromise devices running outdated system versions.

In DarkSword’s case, once an iPhone was compromised, attackers could deploy additional malware with access to sensitive data.

Coruna targeted devices running iOS 13 through iOS 17.2.1, while DarkSword affected iPhones running iOS 18.4 through iOS 18.7.

This led Apple to release system updates for the affected older iOS versions, including iOS 15.8.7, iOS 16.7.15, and iOS 18.7.7. Apple went as far as to take the unusual step of making iOS 18.7.7 available to devices that could install iOS 26, so users who elected not to update to the latest system version would also remain protected against DarkSword.

At the time, Google said DarkSword was being used by multiple commercial surveillance vendors and suspected state-sponsored actors, with attacks observed against targets in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, and Ukraine.

Today, iVerify announced the discovery of P7 DarkSword, a previously unseen variant it found while investigating an infection on the iPhone of an employee at a financial institution just two months ago.

6 in the earlier variant it had been tracking. 7.



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