Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, has issued an urgent warning to millions of iPhone users regarding a security flaw in certain versions of iOS. The company advises users to delete any applications not downloaded directly from the official Apple App Store.
The vulnerability, identified as 'worse_query,' reportedly affects iOS versions 26.7.1, 27.0.1, and 27.2. According to Binance, this flaw can allow malicious apps to access private information stored by other applications on the same device. A software researcher known as Taj suggested on GitHub that the flaw might impact nearly every version of iOS 26, from 26.0 to 26.7.2.
Normally, iOS isolates apps, preventing them from accessing each other's data. The worse_query flaw breaks this isolation, enabling a compromised app to read, copy, or alter files from other apps. For users with cryptocurrency wallets, this could include recovery words or secret keys, potentially leading to the theft of digital funds or account hijacking. There have been no confirmed cases of this specific vulnerability being exploited by hackers to date, Binance stated.
While Apple released security updates on Monday, including new iOS versions 26.7.3 and 27.2.1, the company's release notes did not explicitly mention a fix for the worse_query issue. Binance recommended that users update their devices to the latest available operating system versions and consider creating a new crypto wallet on a separate, clean device if they suspect their current phone may have been compromised. They also advised resetting all active login sessions.
The warning from Binance comes shortly after the company experienced a significant cyberattack, though this new iPhone threat is stated to be unrelated to that incident. Binance has committed to covering losses for customers affected by the previous North Korean-orchestrated attack.