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iPhone Hacking Tools Leak to Cybercriminals
4 Mar
Summary
- Powerful iPhone hacking tools, Coruna, have been discovered.
- These tools, possibly from a government, now target cybercriminals.
- Coruna exploits older iPhones, from iOS 13 up to 17.2.1.
Security researchers have identified a powerful suite of hacking tools, known as Coruna, capable of compromising older Apple iPhones. Initially detected in February 2025 by Google during an investigation involving a government customer, the Coruna exploit kit has since been found in the hands of cybercriminals.
The tools were observed targeting Ukrainian users in a campaign by a Russian espionage group and later by a financially motivated hacker in China. iVerify, a mobile security company, has linked the Coruna exploit kit to the U.S. government, noting similarities to previously attributed hacking tools. This leak underscores an emerging market for "second hand" exploits, where tools developed for government use are sold to financially motivated hackers.
Coruna poses a significant threat as it can bypass iPhone defenses through a "watering hole" attack—simply by visiting a malicious website. The kit leverages 23 separate vulnerabilities to exploit iPhones running iOS versions from 13 up to 17.2.1, which was released in December 2023. This discovery echoes past incidents, such as the 2017 leak of the NSA's EternalBlue exploit, which was subsequently used in widespread cyberattacks.
