Coruna iOS Exploit Kit Uses 23 Exploits Across Five Chains Targeting iOS 13
Vulnerabilities mentionedAll →
| CVE | Vulnerability | CVSS | EPSS | Flags | Affected | Exposure | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVE-2020-27932 +1 in the same advisory: …27950 | Kernel Type Confusion in Apple iOS, macOS, watchOS Allows Code Execution (CVE-2020-27932) CVE-2020-27932 is a type confusion flaw (CWE-843) in the kernel of Apple's iPhone/iPad OS, macOS, and watchOS, addressed with improved state handling in Apple's November 2020 security releases. It is triggered when a malicious (or compromised) application already running on the device sends input that confuses object types in kernel state handling — the attack is local and requires the user to run the app. A successful attacker gains arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges, the highest privilege level on the device, enabling full device control, persistence, and access to sensitive data. Anyone running unpatched iPhones, iPads, Macs, or Apple Watches is affected, and the CISA data also lists iCloud and iTunes among the affected Apple products. The flaw is in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03) with an EPSS of ~10.3% (95th percentile), and related reporting ties it to exploit kits (Coruna, DarkSword) used by a threat actor deploying roughly 11 zero-days against iOS 13 devices, so exploitation in the wild is established. Do: Patch immediately: update to iOS/iPadOS 14.2 (or iOS 12.4.9 for older devices), macOS Big Sur 11.0.1, macOS Catalina 10.15.7 Supplemental Update, or Security Update 2020-006 (High Sierra/Mojave), and watchOS 7.1/6.2.9/5.3.9; also update iCloud and iTunes for Windows per Apple's advisory. Because exploitation in the wild is confirmed and exploit kits targeting iOS 13 are reported, audit Apple endpoints for signs of compromise and ensure users install apps only from trusted sources until patched. | 7.8 group max | 10% | KEV |
| masshundreds of millions of devices (Apple's active iPhone/iPad/Mac/Watch installed base is well over 1 billion; CISA lists the flaw as broadly exploited) | |
| CVE-2021-30952 | CVE-2021-30952: Integer Overflow in Apple Safari/WebKit Allows Arbitrary Code Execution CVE-2021-30952 is an integer overflow (CWE-190) in the WebKit web engine used across Apple's platforms — the same engine shipped as WebKitGTK and WPE WebKit on Linux — which Apple addressed with improved input validation. An attacker triggers it by persuading a user to process maliciously crafted web content, such as loading an attacker-controlled web page, and successful exploitation leads to arbitrary code execution on the victim's device (CVSS 3.1: 7.8 high, with a local attack vector requiring user interaction). All users of unpatched affected platforms are exposed: iOS/iPadOS before 15.2, macOS Monterey before 12.1, Safari before 15.2, tvOS before 15.2, and watchOS before 8.3, plus Fedora/Debian systems running unpatched WebKitGTK/WPE WebKit. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: CISA added the flaw to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-03-05 (ransomware use: unknown), and Google threat intelligence documented it as part of the 'Coruna' iOS exploit kit — 23 exploits across five chains, used for financial crime and targeting devices on older iOS versions such as iOS 13. EPSS assigns a 7.0% probability of exploitation within 30 days (94th percentile). Do: Upgrade to iOS/iPadOS 15.2, macOS Monterey 12.1, Safari 15.2, tvOS 15.2, and watchOS 8.3; devices on older iOS branches (e.g., iOS 13, targeted by the Coruna exploit kit) should immediately apply Apple's emergency fixes for those versions. On Fedora and Debian, pull the latest WebKitGTK/WPE WebKit security updates through the distro package channels. Federal agencies must meet the BOD 22-01 remediation deadline for this KEV entry, and should inventory for Apple devices that cannot reach a patched version and replace or isolate them. | 7.8 | 7% | KEV PoC |
| mass≈1 billion+ Apple devices (iOS/iPadOS/macOS/tvOS/watchOS/Safari install base), with practical residual exposure concentrated in legacy iPhones/iPads on old iOS… | |
| CVE-2022-48503 | Apple Web Content Bounds-Check Flaw Enables Code Execution Across iOS, macOS, Safari CVE-2022-48503 is a bounds-checking flaw (CWE-129, improper validation of array index) in the web content processing engine used by Safari and by web views across Apple platforms, rated 8.8 (High) with a network attack vector and user interaction required. An attacker triggers it by getting a victim to process maliciously crafted web content, typically by visiting a hostile webpage, and gains arbitrary code execution in the context of the application rendering that content. Anyone running Safari or iOS, iPadOS, macOS Monterey, tvOS, or watchOS versions prior to the fixed releases (iOS/iPadOS 15.6, macOS Monterey 12.5, Safari 15.6, tvOS 15.6, watchOS 8.7) is affected, with older devices that cannot upgrade at greatest risk. CISA added the bug to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2025-10-20, confirming exploitation in the wild, and October 2025 reporting on the Coruna iOS exploit kit describes exploit chains being used against older iOS versions. EPSS currently assigns a 3.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (87th percentile); ransomware use is unknown. Do: Update affected devices to iOS/iPadOS 15.6 or later, macOS Monterey 12.5 or later, Safari 15.6 or later, tvOS 15.6 or later, and watchOS 8.7 or later; for older devices that cannot run these versions, apply Apple's emergency fixes for older iOS releases as reported in recent advisories. Federal agencies must apply vendor mitigations per BOD 22-01 guidance or discontinue use of affected products if mitigations are unavailable. Inventory managed Apple fleets for OS/Safari versions below the fixed releases and treat unpatched devices' web browsing as an unauthenticated code-execution risk until patched. | 8.8 | 3% | KEV |
| masshundreds of millions of Apple devices worldwide on pre-fix OS or Safari versions | |
| CVE-2023-32409 +1 in the same advisory: …32434 | WebKit Sandbox Escape in Apple Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS CVE-2023-32409 is a sandbox escape in Apple's WebKit browser engine, caused by insufficient bounds checking that was corrected in the May 2023 updates. It is triggered remotely when WebKit processes maliciously crafted web content, with no authentication or special user privileges required beyond loading attacker-controlled content (e.g., in Safari or any app rendering web views). A successful attacker breaks out of the Web Content sandbox, weakening the isolation between web content and the rest of the system and enabling further compromise of the device (CVSS assigns a high integrity impact). Anyone running Safari or iOS/iPadOS, macOS Ventura, tvOS, or watchOS versions before the fixed releases is affected, which covers essentially the entire unpatched Apple device base. Apple reports the issue may have been actively exploited, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-05-22. Do: Apply the vendor updates per Apple's and CISA's required action: Safari 16.5, iOS/iPadOS 16.5 (or iOS/iPadOS 15.7.8 for users remaining on the iOS 15 branch), macOS Ventura 13.4, tvOS 16.5, and watchOS 9.5. Because WebKit renders web content for all iOS browsers and in-app web views, updating the OS is the primary mitigation; no workaround is documented. Federal agencies must patch within the KEV deadline and should verify fleet-wide OS and Safari versions. | 8.6 group max | 17% | KEV |
| mass≈1B+ Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch installed base; any device on a pre-fix build is exposed) | |
| CVE-2023-38606 | Kernel State-Tampering Flaw in Apple iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS CVE-2023-38606 is a kernel vulnerability in Apple's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS, caused by a state-management defect that allowed an app running on the device to modify sensitive kernel state; Apple fixed it with improved state management in its July 2023 updates. Exploitation is local and requires user interaction (a user must run a malicious app), and successful exploitation lets the attacker alter protected kernel state, with the CVSS scoring high integrity impact but no direct confidentiality or availability loss. Apple stated the issue may have been actively exploited against versions of iOS released before iOS 15.7.1, and CISA added it to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2023-07-26; related reporting around this period links 2023 Triangulation-campaign exploit code to recent mass attack activity via the 'Coruna' iOS exploit kit. All users of iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs and Apple Watches running software older than the July 2023 patched releases (iOS 15.7.8/16.6, iPadOS 15.7.8/16.6, macOS 11.7.9/12.6.8/13.5, tvOS 16.6, watchOS 9.6) are affected. Do: Update all affected devices to the patched releases: iOS 16.6 or iOS 15.7.8, iPadOS 16.6 or 15.7.8, macOS Ventura 13.5 / Monterey 12.6.8 / Big Sur 11.7.9, tvOS 16.6, and watchOS 9.6. No workarounds are documented; because the flaw is triggered by apps, users on unpatched devices should avoid installing or running untrusted apps. The CVE is in the CISA KEV catalog (added 2023-07-26), so federal agencies must apply the vendor fixes within the required BOD 22-01 timelines. | 5.5 | 3% | KEV |
| mass>1 billion active Apple devices (Apple reported an installed base exceeding 2 billion active devices in 2023) | |
| CVE-2023-41974 | Use-After-Free Kernel Code Execution Flaw in Apple iOS and iPadOS CVE-2023-41974 is a use-after-free (CWE-416) memory-corruption vulnerability in Apple iOS and iPadOS that was addressed with improved memory management. It is triggered locally when an application on the device exercises the affected code path; the CVSS vector (AV:L/UI:R) indicates the attacker needs code running on the device and user interaction, but no network access or privileges. A successful exploit allows an app to execute arbitrary code with kernel privileges, giving the attacker full control over the affected iPhone or iPad. Anyone running iOS/iPadOS versions prior to iOS 17/iPadOS 17, including legacy 15.x devices prior to 15.8.7, is affected. CISA added the flaw to the Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-03-05, and public references tie it to the spy-grade 'Coruna' iOS exploit kit (23 exploits across five chains) used for financial crime, confirming exploitation in the wild. Do: Update iPhones to iOS 17 and iPads to iPadOS 17, or apply the iOS 15.8.7 / iPadOS 15.8.7 emergency updates on legacy hardware that cannot run 17; inventory your fleet for devices on older builds and prioritize them, since the Coruna exploit kit reportedly targets older iOS versions. Until patched, avoid installing apps from untrusted sources, as exploitation requires running a malicious app. Federal agencies must meet the applicable BOD 22-01 required-action deadline for this KEV entry. | 7.8 | 1% | KEV PoC |
| mass≈1 billion+ devices in scope | |
| CVE-2023-43000 | Use-After-Free in Apple WebKit: Safari, iOS, iPadOS, macOS (CVE-2023-43000) CVE-2023-43000 is a use-after-free vulnerability (CWE-416) in Apple's web content processing (WebKit) that was addressed with improved memory management. It is triggered when a device processes maliciously crafted web content, which per the CVSS vector requires user interaction such as visiting an attacker-controlled page. Successful exploitation causes memory corruption, and the high confidentiality, integrity, and availability scores indicate an attacker can likely gain code execution or data compromise on the target device. Any unpatched user of Safari, iOS, iPadOS, or macOS macOS versions earlier than the fixed releases is affected, including older iOS devices that Apple has now issued emergency updates for. The flaw is being actively exploited: it was added to the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on 2026-03-05, a public PoC reference ties it to the Coruna iOS exploit kit (a spy-grade kit with 23 exploits used for financial crime), and EPSS estimates a 3.9% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (90th percentile). Do: Update affected systems to macOS Ventura 13.5, iOS/iPadOS 16.6, Safari 16.6, or, for older devices still on iOS 15, iOS/iPadOS 15.8.7. Federal agencies under BOD 22-01 must apply vendor mitigations by the KEV deadline or discontinue use of affected products. Because exploitation requires user interaction with crafted web content, prioritize patching internet-facing and at-risk mobile fleets, and warn users to avoid untrusted links as an interim measure. | 8.8 | 4% | KEV PoC |
| mass≈1 billion+ devices and users (Apple's active iPhone/iPad/Mac install base plus Safari users worldwide) | |
| CVE-2024-23222 | Apple WebKit Type Confusion Enables Arbitrary Code Execution Across iOS, macOS, tvOS CVE-2024-23222 is a type confusion flaw (CWE-843) in Apple's WebKit engine that allows arbitrary code execution when a device processes maliciously crafted web content, for example when a user is lured into loading attacker-controlled web pages in Safari or another WebKit-based view (the CVSS vector confirms user interaction is required). It affects a broad slice of the Apple ecosystem: Safari, iPhone OS/iPadOS on the iOS 15, 16 and 17 branches, macOS Monterey/Ventura/Sonoma, tvOS and visionOS, prior to the January 22, 2024 fixes. A successful attacker gains code execution on the target device with high impact on confidentiality, integrity and availability (CVSS 3.1: 8.8). The flaw was fixed in Safari 17.3, iOS/iPadOS 17.3, and backported to iOS/iPadOS 15.8.7 and 16.7.5 for devices that cannot upgrade to iOS 17, plus macOS Monterey 12.7.3, Ventura 13.6.4, Sonoma 14.3, tvOS 17.3 and visionOS 1.0.2. Exploitation is confirmed in the wild: the vulnerability was added to CISA KEV on 2024-01-23, one day after the fixes shipped, and is associated with the Coruna exploit kit, which reportedly chains multiple exploits to target iOS devices including older versions. Do: Update all affected devices to Safari 17.3, iOS/iPadOS 17.3 (or the iOS/iPadOS 15.8.7 and 16.7.5 backports for devices that cannot run 17), macOS Monterey 12.7.3, macOS Ventura 13.6.4, macOS Sonoma 14.3, tvOS 17.3 and visionOS 1.0.2. Prioritize endpoints used for web browsing and mobile users, since exploitation only requires a user to process crafted web content. The CISA KEV listing (added 2024-01-23) makes applying these vendor updates mandatory under the KEV required action, so verify fleet versions and confirm no devices remain on pre-patch builds. | 8.8 | 11% | KEV |
| massover 1 billion active Apple devices (effectively Apple's entire unpatched iPhone/iPad/Mac/Apple TV fleet) | |
| CVE-2024-23225 +1 in the same advisory: …23296 | Memory Corruption Kernel Protection Bypass in Apple iOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS CVE-2024-23225 is a memory-corruption flaw (CWE-787, out-of-bounds write) in the kernels of Apple's iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, visionOS and watchOS, addressed with improved memory validation in Apple's March 2024 updates. It is triggered locally (CVSS AV:L/PR:L/UI:N) after an attacker has already obtained arbitrary kernel read and write capability, typically as the final stage of an exploit chain, and requires no user interaction. Successful abuse lets the attacker bypass the kernel's memory protections, converting an existing kernel read/write primitive into deeper and more reliable system compromise. Affected users are those running iPhone/iPad software older than iOS/iPadOS 17.4 (or 16.7.6 on the iOS 16 line), Macs older than macOS Sonoma 14.4 / Ventura 13.6.5 / Monterey 12.7.4, Apple TV units older than tvOS 17.4, Apple Vision Pro units older than visionOS 1.1, and Apple Watch units older than watchOS 10.4. Apple has stated the issue may have been exploited in the wild, CISA added it to the KEV on 2024-03-06 as part of the March 2024 emergency update batch, and EPSS currently assigns a 1.5% probability of exploitation within 30 days (72nd percentile). Do: Patch immediately to iOS/iPadOS 17.4 (or 16.7.6 for devices that cannot run 17), macOS Sonoma 14.4 / Ventura 13.6.5 / Monterey 12.7.4, tvOS 17.4, visionOS 1.1 and watchOS 10.4; there is no known workaround, so updating is the only mitigation. Because the flaw is KEV-listed, federal agencies must apply the vendor fixes within the BOD 22-01 deadline, and all defenders should verify installed OS versions fleet-wide (e.g., via MDM) and prioritize internet-facing and high-risk users. | 7.8 | 1% | KEV |
| mass≈2 billion active Apple devices (combined installed base); virtually all devices on pre-March 2024 OS builds were affected at disclosure |
Indicators of compromiseauto-extracted · verify before use · export allAll →
| Type | Indicator | Context |
|---|---|---|
| domain | uacounter.com | e same JavaScript framework was detected on the domain "cdn.uacounter[.]com," which was loaded as a hidden iFrame on compromised Ukra |
Full article1,875 words · extracted from thehackernews.com · click to collapse
Google said it identified a "new and powerful" exploit kit dubbed Coruna (aka CryptoWaters) targeting Apple iPhone models running iOS versions between 13.0 and 17.2.1.
The exploit kit featured five full iOS exploit chains and a total of 23 exploits, Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) said. It's not effective against the latest version of iOS. The findings were first reported by WIRED.
"The core technical value of this exploit kit lies in its comprehensive collection of iOS exploits, with the most advanced ones using non-public exploitation techniques and mitigation bypasses," according to GTIG. "The framework surrounding the exploit kit is extremely well engineered; the exploit pieces are all connected naturally and combined together using common utility and exploitation frameworks."
The kit is said to have circulated among multiple threat actors since February 2025, moving from a commercial surveillance operation to a government-backed attacker, and finally, to a financially motivated threat actor operating from China by December.
It's currently not known how the exploit kit changed hands, but the findings point to an active market for second-hand zero-day exploits, allowing other threat actors to reuse them for their own objectives. In a related report, iVerify said the exploit kit has similarities to previous frameworks developed by threat actors affiliated with the U.S. government.
"Coruna is one of the most significant examples we've observed of sophisticated spyware-grade capabilities proliferating from commercial surveillance vendors into the hands of nation-state actors and ultimately mass-scale criminal operations," iVerify said.
The mobile security vendor said the use of the sophisticated exploit framework marks the first observed mass exploitation against iOS devices, indicating that spyware attacks are shifting from being highly targeted to broad deployment.
Google said it first captured parts of an iOS exploit chain used by a customer of an unnamed surveillance company early last year, with the exploits integrated into a never-before-seen JavaScript framework. The framework is designed to fingerprint the device to determine if it's real and gather details, including the specific iPhone model and iOS software version it is running.
The framework then loads the appropriate WebKit remote code execution (RCE) exploit based on the fingerprint data, followed by executing a pointer authentication code (PAC) bypass. The exploit in question relates to CVE-2024-23222, a type confusion bug in WebKit that was patched by Apple in January 2024 with iOS 17.3 and iPadOS 17.3 and iOS 16.7.5 and iPadOS 16.7.5.
Fast forward to July 2025, the same JavaScript framework was detected on the domain "cdn.uacounter[.]com," which was loaded as a hidden iFrame on compromised Ukrainian websites. This included websites catering to industrial equipment, retail tools, local services, and e-commerce. A suspected Russian espionage group named UNC6353 is assessed to be behind the campaign.
What's interesting about the activity was that the framework was delivered only to certain iPhone users from a specific geolocation. The exploits deployed as part of the framework consisted of CVE-2024-23222, CVE-2022-48503, and CVE-2023-43000, the last of which is a use-after-free flaw in WebKit.
It's worth noting that CVE-2023-43000 was addressed by Apple in iOS 16.6 and iPadOS 16.6, released in July 2023. However, the security release notes were updated to include an entry for the vulnerability only on November 11, 2025.
The third time the JavaScript framework was detected in the wild was in December 2025. A cluster of fake Chinese websites, most of them related to finance, were found to drop the iOS exploit kit after instructing users to visit them from an iPhone or iPad for a better user experience. The activity is attributed to a threat cluster tracked as UNC6691.
Once these websites are accessed via an iOS device, a hidden iFrame is injected to deliver the Coruna exploit kit containing CVE-2024-23222. The exploit delivery, in this case, was not constrained by any geolocation criteria.
Further analysis of the threat actor's infrastructure led to the discovery of a debug version of the exploit kit, along with various samples covering five full iOS exploit chains. A total of 23 exploits spanning versions from iOS 13 to iOS 17.2.1 have been identified.
Some of the CVEs exploited by the kit and the corresponding iOS versions they targeted are listed below -
- Neutron - CVE-2020-27932 (versions 13.x)
- Dynamo - CVE-2020-27950 (versions 13.x)
- buffout - CVE-2021-30952 (versions 13 → 15.1.1)
- jacurutu - CVE-2022-48503 (versions 15.2 → 15.5)
- IronLoader - CVE-2023-32409 (versions 16.0 → 16.3.116.4.0)
- Photon - CVE-2023-32434 (versions 14.5 → 15.7.6)
- Gallium - CVE-2023-38606 (versions 14.x)
- Parallax - CVE-2023-41974 (versions 16.4 → 16.7)
- terrorbird - CVE-2023-43000 (versions 16.2 → 16.5.1)
- cassowary - CVE-2024-23222 (versions 16.6 → 17.2.1)
- Sparrow - CVE-2024-23225 (versions 17.0 → 17.3)
- Rocket - CVE-2024-23296 (versions 17.1 → 17.4)
"Photon and Gallium are exploiting vulnerabilities that were also used as zero-days as part of Operation Triangulation," Google said. "The Coruna exploit kit also embeds reusable modules to ease the exploitation of the aforementioned vulnerabilities."
In June 2023, the Russian government claimed the campaign was the work of the U.S. National Security Agency, accusing it of hacking "several thousand" Apple devices belonging to domestic subscribers and foreign diplomats as part of a "reconnaissance operation."
UNC6691 has been observed weaponizing the exploit to deliver a stager binary codenamed PlasmaLoader (aka PLASMAGRID) that's designed to decode QR codes from images and run additional modules retrieved from an external server, allowing it to exfiltrate cryptocurrency wallets or sensitive information from various apps like Base, Bitget Wallet, Exodus, and MetaMask, among others.
"The implant contains a list of hard-coded C2s but has a fallback mechanism in case the servers do not respond," GTIG added. "The implant embeds a custom domain generation algorithm (DGA) using the string 'lazarus' as a seed to generate a list of predictable domains. The domains will have 15 characters and use .xyz as a TLD. The attackers use Google's public DNS resolver to validate if the domains are active."
A notable aspect of Coruna is that it skips execution on devices in Lockdown Mode, or if the user is in private browsing. To counter the threat, iPhone users are advised to keep their devices up to date, and enable Lockdown Mode for enhanced security.
Update
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), on March 5, 2026, added CVE-2021-30952, CVE-2023-41974, and CVE-2023-43000 to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog following the abuse of the flaws in the Coruna exploit kit. Federal agencies are advised to apply the necessary fixes by March 26, 2026, for optimal protection.
When reached for comment about the use of Operation Triangulation exploits in Coruna, Kaspersky confirmed that Photon and Gallium target the same vulnerabilities that were used as zero-days in the 2023 campaign.
"These are not trivial bugs – we know that firsthand," Boris Larin, principal security researcher at Kaspersky GReAT, told The Hacker News via email. "CVE-2023-32434 gives an attacker full control over the deepest layer of iOS – the kernel, which governs everything the phone does. CVE-2023-38606 goes a step further: it exploited a previously undocumented feature of Apple's own chips to bypass security protections that operate at the hardware level."
That being said, the Russian cybersecurity vendor noted that both the CVEs have publicly available implementations, meaning any threat actor with sufficient expertise and resources could have come up with their own exploits without relying on Triangulation code. It also pointed out that there is no evidence of actual code reuse to attribute Coruna to the same authors.
"After we discovered and disclosed the Triangulation chain, Apple patched these vulnerabilities and backported fixes as far back as iOS 15.7.x," Larin added. "But many users simply don't update, and Coruna contains 23 exploits across five chains — these two shared CVEs are just the tip of the iceberg."
"This case highlights a fundamental tension: the same closed ecosystem that makes iPhones secure by default also makes it harder for the security industry to provide an additional layer of protection when Apple's own defenses are bypassed. With toolkits like Coruna circulating freely, that's a gap worth addressing."
The statement comes as TechCrunch reported that the exploit kit was likely designed by U.S. military contractor L3Harris, specifically its hacking and surveillance tech division, Trenchant, citing two former employees. Trenchant's hacking tools are sold exclusively to the U.S. government and its allies, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the U.K.
It's currently not known how Coruna ended up with Russian and Chinese hacking groups. But there are some clues as to how this may have happened. Last month, Peter Williams, a former general manager at L3Harris Trenchant, was sentenced to a little over seven years in prison for selling eight zero-day exploits to Russian exploit broker Operation Zero in exchange for millions of dollars.
The exploits could have been "used against any manner of victim, civilian or military around the world, and engage in all manner of crime from cyber fraud, theft, and ransomware, to state-directed spying and offensive cyber operations against military targets," U.S. prosecutors noted.
As TechCrunch stated, it's possible that Operation Zero acquired Coruna and sold it to other threat actors, including financially motivated cybercriminals. Another indicator that points to L3Harris is the use of bird names for the exploits.
"Trenchant/Azimuth do use bird names internally. Their most famous public exploit chain was literally called 'Condor' (a massive bird of prey)," security researcher Costin Raiu said in a post on X last week. "Coruna's heavy bird theme for the early-stage WebContent RCEs and PAC bypasses (cassowary, terrorbird, bluebird, jacurutu, sparrow, plus the lighter breezy/seedbell) fits the same playful naming convention."
In a separate report, c/side shared additional technical details of the distribution mechanism, noting Coruna is delivered as a self-contained HTML file (e.g., group.html or analytics.html) embedded as a hidden <iframe> within a web page. More than 50 delivery domains have been identified.
"The iframe has zero dimensions. It is invisible," Simon Wijckmans said. "It requires no user interaction beyond the page loading. The exploit runs entirely in the browser, in JavaScript, and completes in seconds."
"The delivery pages were hosted on attacker-controlled domains: fake crypto platforms, gambling sites, bingo lures. But the kit does not care where it is hosted. It is a self-contained payload that can be injected anywhere a JavaScript tag can be placed. That means the realistic delivery vectors extend far beyond attacker-owned infrastructure."
The Coruna framework incorporates four layers of obfuscation to bypass static analysis and automated sandboxes, while also skipping execution in scenarios where Apple's Lockdown Mode is detected, or the user is in private browsing mode. The exploit chain goes through six stages -
- Fingerprinting the host to determine if the target is valuable and which exploit chain to use.
- Exploit CVE-2024-23222 to achieve remote code execution
- Bypass Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) protections
- Escape the Safari browser sandbox
- Circumvent Pointer Authentication Codes (PAC) on Apple Silicon
- Execute shellcode to drop the final implant (PlasmaLoader aka PLASMAGRID)
"[PLASMAGRID] decodes QR codes from images, fetches additional modules from C2, and exfiltrates cryptocurrency wallet data from MetaMask, Exodus, Bitget Wallet, and Base," Wijckmans said.
(The story was updated after publication to reflect the latest developments and include a response from Kaspersky.)
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Text extracted automatically; images, tables and formatting may be missing. Original: https://thehackernews.com/2026/03/coruna-ios-exploit-kit-uses-23-exploits.html