At a Glance · AI-generated

Exploit code for the DarkSword vulnerability went public on March 27, prompting Apple to take the unusual step of releasing security patches for older devices still running iOS 18. Apple confirmed the update on March 31 and began rolling out the fixes on April 1, extending protection to iPhone and iPad users who had not upgraded to iOS 26. The company described DarkSword as a severe attack vector, making the backported patch a rare measure to secure legacy devices against active exploitation.