TLDR Tech / InfoSec
This severe and international iPhone hack is the best reason to update to iOS 26.3 yet
The "DarkSword" exploit chain, active since at least November 2025, chained six flaws across JavaScriptCore (CVE-2025-31277, CVE-2025-43529), dyld PAC bypass (CVE-2026-20700), WebContent sandbox escape (CVE-2025-14174), GPU sandbox escape (CVE-2025-43810), and a local privilege escalation (CVE-2025-43520) to achieve full kernel control on iOS 18.4 through 18.7 via a malicious Safari webpage. Multiple threat actors reused the same core chain across separate campaigns in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, and Ukraine, with delivery methods ranging from Snapchat-themed lures to compromised watering-hole sites, with PARS Defense linked to the Turkey and Malaysia activity. Apple patched all underlying flaws in stages through iOS 26.3 by February 11. Users should update immediately to close the fully patched chain.
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