Apple is urging iPhone users that are still running iOS 13 or iOS 14 to upgrade to iOS 15 to protect themselves from having their device hacked via malicious web content, reports MacRumors.
An Apple support document informs users about recent reports about hacking tools that can be used against iPhones running older versions of iOS. iOS exploit kits known as “Coruna” and “DarkSword” are being used by bad actors to take advantage of vulnerabilities in iOS 13 through iOS 17.2.1.
Security researchers recently identified web-based attacks that target out-of-date versions of iOS through malicious web content.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.
We thoroughly investigated these issues as they were found and released software updates as quickly as possible for the most recent operating system versions to address vulnerabilities and disrupt such attacks.
The support document tells users how to protect their devices:
If your iPhone has an older version of iOS, update to protect your data:
- Devices with the latest, updated versions of iOS 15 through iOS 26 are already protected. If you have not updated your software recently, update iOS on your iPhone.
- We released a software update for iOS 15 and iOS 16 on March 11, 2026, to extend protection to older devices that cannot update to the latest version of iOS.
- Devices with iOS 13 or iOS 14 must update to iOS 15 to receive these protections and will receive an additional alert to install a Critical Security Update in the next few days.
- Apple Safe Browsing in Safari is on by default and blocks the malicious URL domains identified in these attacks.
If you have kept your iPhone software up to date, then you are protected against the exploit kits. Users running updated versions of iOS 15 through iOS 26 are safe. Apple reminds users that keeping your software up to date is the single most important thing you can do to maintain the security of your Apple devices. Devices with Lockdown Mode enabled are also protected from these specific attacks, even on out-of-date software, but should be updated to the latest iOS version as soon as possible.
Users who are unable to update their device can consider enabling Lockdown Mode (if available) to protect against malicious web content and other threats. Lockdown Mode is available in iOS 16 or later, and it works by blocking hacking vectors like images in Messages and malicious websites.
