Smart Phone Market Share
| Year | iOS Market Share (%) | Android Market Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 59.54 | 40.27 |
| 2021 | 58.58 | 41.11 |
| 2022 | 56.74 | 42.94 |
| 2023 | 58.1 | 41.46 |
| 2024 | 58.81 | 40.81 |
| 2025 | 58.44 | 41.28 |
| Region | Android (%) | iOS (%) | Other (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | 75.18 | 24.44 | 0.38 |
| Africa | 87.47 | 11.38 | 1.15 |
| Asia | 83.09 | 16.38 | 0.53 |
| Europe | 66.84 | 32.63 | 0.53 |
| North America | 43.67 | 56.24 | 0.09 |
| Oceania | 54.91 | 44.74 | 0.35 |
| South America | 88.56 | 11.17 | 0.27 |
Apple Security
Apple’s App Store
Apple has a rigorous App Review system that screens every app and update before it goes live on the App Store. This process includes:
- Automated scans for malware, suspicious behavior, and policy violations.
- Human review for content, functionality, and compliance with App Store guidelines.
- Developer identity verification to prevent fraudulent submissions.
Because of this, many malicious apps are blocked before they ever reach users. For example:
- In 2025, Apple reported blocking 2 million app submissions for fraud and policy violations before they were published.
- In 2024, Apple rejected 1.7 million app submissions, many of which were flagged for security concerns.
- Apple also blocked over 10,000 apps from pirate storefronts that never made it to the App Store.
| Year | Blocked Before Listing | Removed After Listing | Total Malicious Apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 185,000 | 0 | 185,000 |
| 2023 | 139,000 | 0 | 139,000 |
| 2024 | 1,931,400 | 82,509 | 2,013,909 |
| 2025 | 2,000,000 | 0 | 2,000,000 |
iOS Exploits
Includes likelihood of user exposure.
2007–2011 — JailbreakMe 1.0–3.0
Exploit Type: Safari vulnerability via TIFF image. Likelihood of Affecting Standard User: Low. Required user to visit a specific malicious website; mostly used for jailbreaking. Patched quickly by Apple.
2016 — Pegasus Spyware
CVEs: CVE-2016-4655, CVE-2016-4656, CVE-2016-4657. Exploit Type: Zero-day chain. Likelihood: Low to Moderate. Targeted high-profile individuals; required link click but very stealthy.
2019 — Checkm8
Exploit Type: Bootrom exploit (hardware-level). Likelihood: Low. Required physical access to device; used mainly for jailbreaking older iPhones.
2021 — FORCEDENTRY
CVE: CVE-2021-30860. Exploit Type: Zero-click iMessage exploit. Likelihood: Moderate to High. No user interaction needed; used in targeted surveillance campaigns.
2022 — CVE-2022-42827
Exploit Type: Kernel vulnerability. Likelihood: Low. Required app installation or chained with other exploits; patched quickly.
2023 — CVE-2023-28206
Exploit Type: IOSurfaceAccelerator vulnerability. Likelihood: Low. Required malicious app; unlikely to affect users who stick to App Store apps.
2024 — CVE-2024-23222
Exploit Type: WebKit remote code execution. Likelihood: Moderate. Could be triggered by visiting malicious websites; mitigated by Safari updates.
2025 — SparkCat Malware
Exploit Type: Screenshot-based data theft via OCR. Likelihood: Low to Moderate. Required installation of malicious apps; affected users who sideloaded or used third-party app stores.
Google Security
Google’s Play Store
Malicious apps found prior to listing compared to after:
| Year | Blocked Before Listing | Removed After Listing | Total Malicious Apps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | ~700,000 | ~100,000 | ~800,000 |
| 2019 | ~1,000,000 | ~200,000 | ~1,200,000 |
| 2020 | ~900,000 | ~100,000 | ~1,000,000 |
| 2021 | ~1,000,000 | ~200,000 | ~1,200,000 |
| 2022 | ~1,200,000 | ~300,000 | ~1,500,000 |
| 2023 | 2,280,000 | ~200,000 | ~2,480,000 |
| 2024 | 2,360,000 | ~400,000 | ~2,760,000 |
| 2025 | 4,000,000 | ~500,000 | ~4,500,000 |
Android OS Exploits
Includes likelihood of user exposure.
2008 — CVE-2008-7298
Exploit: Cookie forcing via Android browser. Allowed attackers to overwrite or delete cookies in HTTPS sessions due to lack of HSTS enforcement. Likelihood: Low — required man-in-the-middle attack; mitigated in later versions.
2010 — RageAgainstTheCage
Exploit: adb daemon privilege escalation. Used to gain root access by exploiting the Android Debug Bridge. Likelihood: Low — required USB debugging and physical access; mostly used for jailbreaking.
2011 — GingerBreak
Exploit: vold volume manager vulnerability. Allowed privilege escalation via crafted messages to the volume manager. Likelihood: Moderate — could be exploited via malicious apps; patched in later versions.
2015 — Stagefright (CVE-2015-3824, CVE-2015-3864, etc.)
Exploit: Media playback engine vulnerability. Allowed remote code execution via MMS messages containing crafted media files. Likelihood: High — required no user interaction; affected millions of devices.
2016 — Dirty COW (CVE-2016-5195)
Exploit: Linux kernel race condition. Allowed local privilege escalation by exploiting copy-on-write mechanism. Likelihood: Moderate — required local access; widely exploitable across Android versions.
2019 — CVE-2019-10540
Exploit: Qualcomm component vulnerability. Allowed remote code execution via buffer overflow in audio processing. Likelihood: Moderate — required crafted media files; affected devices with specific chipsets.
2022 — CVE-2022-42827
Exploit: Kernel memory corruption. Allowed arbitrary code execution with kernel privileges. Likelihood: Low to Moderate — required malicious app; mitigated by Play Protect and patches.
2023 — CVE-2023-35674
Exploit: Android Framework privilege escalation. Allowed elevation of privileges via SDK manipulation. Likelihood: Moderate — exploitable via app updates; mitigated by Google Play policies.
2024 — CVE-2024-32896
Exploit: Android Framework zero-day. Allowed privilege escalation with no user interaction. Likelihood: High — actively exploited in the wild; affected many devices.
2025 — CVE-2025-38352 & CVE-2025-48543
Exploit: Kernel and runtime vulnerabilities. Enabled privilege escalation without user interaction. Likelihood: High — confirmed active exploitation; affected unpatched devices.
Apple Data Breaches
2011 — iPad Email Leak
A cyberattack exposed email addresses and personal data of over 114,000 iPad users, including government officials and celebrities.
2012 — iCloud Breach
A breach affected several high-profile users, raising concerns about the security of Apple’s cloud services.
2014 — Celebrity iCloud Photo Leak (“Celebgate”)
Hackers accessed and leaked private photos of celebrities from their iCloud accounts, sparking a major scandal and criticism of Apple’s security measures.
2015 — Apple vs. FBI (San Bernardino Case)
Apple refused to help the FBI unlock an iPhone belonging to a terrorist suspect, citing user privacy and encryption concerns. This led to a public legal battle.
2019 — Siri Privacy Breach
A whistleblower revealed that Siri recordings were being reviewed by contractors, including accidental activations capturing sensitive conversations. Apple later apologized and changed its practices.
2021 — Pegasus Spyware Attack
The NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware exploited a zero-click vulnerability in iPhones, allowing remote access to user data, including messages and calls.
2022–2023 — Multiple Zero-Day Vulnerabilities
Apple patched several zero-day vulnerabilities in iOS, macOS, and Safari, some of which were reportedly exploited in the wild.
2023 — Apple’s Own Privacy Study
Apple commissioned a study revealing that 2.6 billion personal records were compromised globally in recent years, emphasizing the need for end-to-end encryption.
2025 — Apple ID Data Breach
A database containing 184 million unencrypted Apple ID credentials was discovered online. Though not a direct breach of Apple’s servers, it exposed users to identity theft and account takeovers.
2025 — Siri Privacy Lawsuit Settlement
Apple agreed to a $95 million settlement over claims that Siri recorded users without consent. The recordings were allegedly used for quality control and included sensitive conversations.
2025 — Massive Credential Leak Including Apple Accounts
A broader breach exposed 16 billion login credentials, including Apple accounts. The data was likely collected via infostealer malware and posed serious risks to user privacy.
Android Data Breaches
184 Million Record Leak (2025)
Massive breach exposed emails, passwords, and login links in plaintext. Affected accounts across tech, banking, and government sectors.
Google Data Breach via Salesforce (2025)
Attackers used social engineering to access business customer data, leading to phishing and vishing campaigns.
App Usage & Location Data Leaks (2024)
Device vendors (Samsung, Nokia, Tecno, etc.) leaked sensitive app usage and location data due to poor configurations and pre-installed apps.