Seed phrases and private keys stored on iPhones may be exposed to theft through a newly identified security flaw targeting Apple’s (NASDAQ: AAPL) mobile operating system.
The vulnerability, dubbed “Worst Query,” enables a malicious application to access and read files belonging to other apps installed on the same device.
That capability makes it particularly dangerous for cryptocurrency users, whose wallet seed phrases and private keys could be silently harvested without any visible sign of compromise.
Exchange giant Binance has flagged the exploit publicly, raising the alarm across the crypto community about the scope of the threat to mobile wallet security.
Crypto analyst and podcast host Scott Melker amplified the warning to his audience, urging iPhone-owning crypto holders to treat the risk as immediate and credible.
Melker offered specific guidance, telling users to update their devices without delay, avoid installing sideloaded or otherwise unverified applications, and shift significant holdings out of phone-based hot wallets.
Cold storage remains the safest destination for any meaningful crypto positions, Melker advised, with phone wallets left holding only minimal balances.
He also cautioned against a habit many users may not recognize as dangerous, noting that seed phrases should never be stored in notes apps or as screenshots sitting in a camera roll.
Apple has not yet issued an official statement confirming either the vulnerability or a targeted patch, though a security update has appeared in the iPhone update queue that Melker said he personally installed.
Describing his own experience, Melker noted he discovered a fresh security update on his phone just one day after a separate software release that was focused on improving Siri’s performance.
He told his audience, “Apple is going to be on top of this more than any other company,” while still urging users not to wait for a formal confirmation before applying available updates.
The incident is a reminder that even tightly controlled mobile ecosystems carry meaningful risk for users who treat smartphones as primary crypto custody devices.
Apple shares slipped 0.54% amid the broader attention the vulnerability drew, though analysts have not attributed the move directly to the security disclosure.
