Apple Warns iPhone Users to Update Their Devices: Here’s How to Do It

Apple has recommended that iPhone users update their operating systems following a report revealing hacking campaigns by cybercriminals targeting phones that haven’t installed recent software updates.

“Security researchers recently identified web-based attacks that target out-of-date versions of iOS through malicious web content. For example, if you’re using an older version of iOS and were to click a malicious link or visit a compromised website, the data on your iPhone might be at risk of being stolen,” Apple said in an update published on March 19.

The Cupertino, California-based tech company recommended that people who have not installed the latest software on their iPhones update their devices. For people who have already kept their iPhone software up to date, they are protected from hackers, it said.

When those problems were found, “[Apple] released software updates as quickly as possible for the most recent operating system versions to address vulnerabilities and disrupt such attacks,” according to the tech giant.

A spokesperson for Apple pointed to the company’s web page about the update when The Epoch Times asked about the security flaw in an emailed question on Thursday.

Apple said it released an update for iOS 15 and iOS 16 on March 11 to shore up protection for some older devices that can’t update to a new version of iOS, while devices with iOS 13 or iOS 14 must update to iOS 15 to get the new updates. They will receive a “Critical Security Update” in the coming days, it said.

Users who cannot update their devices are advised to enable Lockdown Mode to mitigate the threat of malicious web content, Apple said.

The statement from Apple came after researchers with iVerify, Google, and Lookout found evidence of the malware they called Darksword and a type of spyware called Coruna, both hosted on the same servers.

Google said its researchers observed multiple commercial vendors and suspected ​state-linked hackers using Darksword in distinct campaigns against targets in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malaysia, and Ukraine.

“We urge everyone to update to the latest available iOS version that contains fixes for all vulnerabilities used in this exploit,” iVerify said on Wednesday. The most up-to-date versions of the iPhone operating systems are 26.3.1 for newer models and 18.7.6 for older models.

The company suggested Russian cyber actors may have been involved in the hacks, noting that “shortly after our publication on the Coruna exploit kit, a collaborating researcher at Lookout flagged a suspicious-looking URL possibly related to the threat actor from Russia linked with Coruna.”

“The JavaScript code was not obfuscated and featured original variable names and comments left by the exploit authors, consistent with the typical structure of Safari exploits leveraging” certain types of vulnerabilities, iVerify added.

How to Update

Users can update their devices by following these steps:

1. Go to Settings
2. Tap General
3. Tap Software Update
4. If an update is available, tap Install Now or Download and Install
5. Follow the instructions on the screen

Apple advises people to have their phones connected to WiFi and plugged into a power source. Users can enable Automatic Updates, if not already, in the same menu.

How to Turn On Lockdown Mode

For iPhone users concerned about being hacked or those with older devices that cannot be updated, they can turn on Lockdown Mode with these steps:

1. Open the Settings app
2. Tap on Privacy & Security in the Settings section
3. Tap Lockdown Mode and then tap Turn On Lockdown Mode
4. Tape Turn on Lockdown Mode after reading the information
5. Tap Turn On & Restart
6. Enter the device passcode when the prompt appears

Reuters contributed to this report.