A Ukrainian man lost almost $70,000 in cryptocurrency due to a vulnerability in an outdated iOS. The victim decided to publicly share the details of the incident to warn other digital asset owners against similar threats.
A Ukrainian man lost almost $70,000 in cryptocurrency due to a vulnerability in an outdated iOS. The victim decided to publicly share the details of the incident to warn other digital asset owners against similar threats.
“On October 15, 2026, almost $70,000 in crypto wallets was stolen from me. Now I want to explain how it happened, how it works in general. This will also be an appeal to everyone: acquaintances, strangers, friends, anyone who has crypto and stores it on their phone,” said an Instagram user under the nickname aromnk (according to the Incrypted publication, his name is Artur Romanchuk).
According to the victim, specialized tools such as Dark Sword, Dark Temple, or Corona were used for the attack. The main danger is that the victim does not need to download third-party files or applications to be infected.
“You don’t need to download anything, you don’t need to upload anything, install anything. You just need to go to one site that will be infected with this crap. It can happen anywhere: on Instagram, Facebook, or you went to some site for advertising, it can be anywhere,” the man explains .
After clicking on the link, the browser downloads a script that runs in the background and gains full system access to the smartphone.
The malware specifically seeks access to popular decentralized wallets (MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Exodus, etc.). The script automatically scans mobile notes, messengers (Telegram, WhatsApp), and photo galleries for seed phrases, and also extracts passwords stored in the system.
“Hello to all those who take screenshots of seed phrases, because the gallery is also scanned for seed phrases. It also extracts all your passwords that are saved on the iPhone. Unfortunately, I got into this story because I did not update the operating system for a long time, and due to vulnerabilities, my cryptocurrency was stolen, namely, the private key was extracted from my Trust Wallet wallet,” adds aromnk.
To avoid such incidents, the man advises following strict cybersecurity rules:
always keep the operating system and applications on your phone up to date to close vulnerabilities in a timely manner;
never store private keys and secret phrases in notes, messengers or the gallery. Use only manual media - paper or metal;
If you have reason to believe that the system has been compromised (for example, due to an outdated version of iOS), immediately transfer funds to a safe place and generate new keys on a trusted device;
To store significant amounts, you should use special hardware wallets.
"Take care of yourself, take care of your emails, and always be responsible for your actions on the Internet... that's why you need to clearly track everything: what you do, how you do it, where you store it, and what's going on with you in general," the victim summarized.
