Millions of iPhone owners have been urged to take immediate action by Binance, the cryptocurrency exchange that recently suffered billions of dollars in losses in what has been described as the biggest hack in history.
Binance issued a public warning to people using iPhones running iOS 26 or iOS 27, advising them to remove any applications that were installed from outside the official Apple App Store.
The exchange said a vulnerability known as “worse_query” in those versions of Apple’s operating system could allow malicious applications to secretly access private data belonging to other apps on the same device.
The vulnerability is not malware itself. Instead, it creates a security gap that a harmful application installed by the user could exploit.
Applications downloaded from outside the App Store generally receive less security screening than those distributed through Apple’s platform, potentially giving attackers a way to target unsuspecting iPhone owners.
If such an application is installed on an iPhone affected by the worse_query vulnerability, Binance warned that criminals could potentially empty a crypto wallet or seize control of a user’s account.
The urgent warning was issued on Tuesday, only days after Binance lost $6.3 billion in a cyberattack attributed to North Korea. The newly reported vulnerability is unrelated to that incident, but it could affect anyone storing cryptocurrency in an iPhone wallet.
Binance advised people using the affected iOS versions to install the latest available software updates. Anyone who believes their device may have been compromised was also urged to create a new crypto wallet.
A serious iPhone warning has been issued over a vulnerability that could allow hackers to take control of cryptocurrency wallets (Stock Image)
Binance said the worse_query vulnerability had been identified on devices running iOS 26.7.1, iOS 27.0.1 and iOS 27.2.
An independent software researcher known as Taj said on GitHub, a popular forum for developers, that the flaw could affect almost every release of iOS 26, from version 26.0 through iOS 26.7.2.
Our News Outlet has contacted Apple for comment on the reported worse_query vulnerability.
Apple normally isolates each iPhone application in its own protected area, preventing one app from accessing another app’s private files.
The reported flaw could undermine that protection. A malware-infected app might be able to read private files belonging to other applications, potentially exposing personal details, stored passwords, messages, photos and documents.
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An app already installed on the device could allegedly use the vulnerability to view, copy or modify files belonging to other applications, including cryptocurrency wallets.
For crypto users, those files may contain recovery phrases or private keys that control access to their funds. If obtained by criminals, the information could be used to steal digital assets or take over an account.
So far, there have been no confirmed reports of hackers exploiting this specific iPhone vulnerability.
Binance warned iPhone users about the reported iOS vulnerability and urged them to delete apps installed from outside Apple’s App Store
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A Binance spokesperson told crypto.news: “At present, we have not identified any confirmed cases in which attackers used worse_query to access cryptocurrency wallets or steal funds.”
The exchange has been closely monitoring fraud threats since US authorities exposed malicious North Korean cyber activity linked to “TraderTraitor,” an elite hacking group.
Apple released fresh security updates on Monday, including iOS versions 26.7.3 and 27.2.1, as well as updates for older iPhone operating systems.
Apple’s security notes listed several fixes, including one addressing a flaw that could allow malicious apps to access private user data.
However, the updates released on Monday did not specifically resolve the reported worse_query issue.
“If you suspect a breach, transfer funds to a new wallet created on a clean device and reset all active login sessions,” Binance said in a post on X.
Binance has said it will fully cover the losses from the North Korean attack, ensuring its customers do not lose their money.
