Apple Will Push Out Rare ‘Backported’ Patches to Protect iOS 18 Users From DarkSword Hacking Tool

Apple will ship security fixes for iOS 18 instead of forcing users to upgrade to iOS 26, after DarkSword was found in active attacks.

DarkSword was posted on GitHub and linked to phishing campaigns and a live domain targeting U.S. iPhone users.

The response mirrors Apple’s earlier backporting move for the Coruna iOS exploitation kit.

With many users staying on iOS 18 for compatibility or storage reasons, backported patches protect a much larger device base.