Apple Breaks Precedent, Patches DarkSword for iOS 18

Apple backported patches after the DarkSword exploit chain leaked to GitHub and began appearing in active campaigns alongside the previously disclosed Coruna iOS exploit kit. DarkSword provides privilege escalation without rooting (making detection harder), Coruna had root capabilities and wormable SMS-based C2 potential; both were used or tested by criminal and surveillance-ware actors (including an observed TA446 phishing campaign). The leak and active use forced Apple to extend fixes to additional iOS versions, highlighting the growing market for n-day iOS exploit kits and operational challenges for organizations that delay or restrict OS upgrades.