An Garda Síochána has issued an urgent warning for Apple users after discovering a new malware threat targeting iPhones.
Malware is malicious software designed to harm computers, steal data, or disrupt normal operations. This malware, known as DarkSword, can steal personal information quietly, which means your phone could be compromised without you even knowing.
DarkSword can infect iPhones in a couple of ways. Simply visiting a compromised or malicious website can trigger the malware. Clicking on a bad link can also let it onto your device. Once installed, the malware works in the background without any warning. Your phone will continue to operate normally, so most users will not notice anything unusual.
The malware primarily affects iPhones running iOS versions 18.4 to 18.7, although older devices that are not updated may also be at risk. DarkSword can access a wide range of sensitive information including messages, emails, contacts, photos, call history, browsing history, saved passwords, location data, calendar entries, and even notes.
The attack starts when a user opens a malicious website in Safari. The malware then bypasses the browser’s security protections and escalates through the iPhone’s operating system. In just a few seconds or minutes, DarkSword collects data from the device and sends it to a remote server before deleting itself, leaving almost no trace behind.
According to researchers, around 220 million iPhones worldwide could be vulnerable to DarkSword. Devices that are not regularly updated are at the greatest risk.
Apple has released updates that fix the vulnerabilities exploited by DarkSword. Gardaí strongly advise users to update their devices to iOS 26.3.1 or iOS 18.7.6. Older phones running iOS 15 or iOS 16 should also install the latest updates to stay protected. If anyone suspects their phone has been affected, they should report the issue to their local Garda station.