SAN FRANCISCO – A sophisticated hacking tool capable of breaching hundreds of millions of older iPhones has been leaked online, raising significant cybersecurity alarms.

According to a report by TechCrunch, the latest version of "DarkSword," a notorious hacking tool, was recently uploaded to the developer platform GitHub. Originally developed by Russian state-sponsored hackers to target victims in Ukraine, the tool is designed to extract sensitive data, including passwords, photos, private messages, and browsing history.

The threat is particularly grave because the tool is "plug-and-play." Security experts warn that DarkSword requires no specialized technical knowledge to operate, making it an attractive asset for low-level cybercriminals now that it is publicly accessible.

Apple’s data indicates that 34% of iPhones and 43% of iPads worldwide are still running older operating systems. With an active base of roughly 2.5 billion devices, this suggests that several hundred million users could be vulnerable to this exploit.

In response, Apple has released emergency security updates specifically for older devices that cannot support the latest OS versions. "Keeping your software up to date is the single most important step you can take to maintain your digital security," an Apple spokesperson stated.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]