Apple issued threat notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries on Wednesday, cautioning them about potential mercenary spyware attacks.
The company announced that it had sent out alerts to individuals in 92 nations on Wednesday at 12 p.m. Pacific Time. The notification, which Eltrys has seen, did not reveal any information about the attackers or the countries where users received notices.
Apple has detected a possible security risk associated with your iPhone and your Apple ID. Apple sent a warning message to impacted users to alert them about this concerning situation.
Your unique identity or profession appears to be the target of this attack. Apple emphasized the importance of taking this warning seriously, acknowledging that complete certainty is not always attainable when detecting such attacks.
Apple regularly sends these types of notifications throughout the year, alerting users to potential threats in more than 150 countries since 2021, according to an updated Apple support page.
In October last year, Apple also issued a similar warning to several journalists and politicians in India. Subsequently, the nonprofit advocacy group Amnesty International found the Israeli company NSO Group’s invasive spyware, Pegasus, on the iPhones of prominent Indian journalists. Users in India have reportedly received Apple’s latest threat notifications, as per sources familiar with the matter.
The spyware alerts come at a time when numerous countries are getting ready for elections. Recently, numerous tech companies have expressed concerns about increasing state-sponsored attempts to influence specific electoral results. Apple’s alerts, on the other hand, failed to mention anything about their timing.
Apple informed the affected customers, “We regret that we cannot disclose further details regarding the reason for this notification, as it may enable malicious individuals to modify their tactics and avoid detection.”
Apple had initially referred to the attackers as “state-sponsored,” but they have now changed their terminology to “mercenary spyware attacks.”
The warning to customers states that mercenary spyware attacks, like those involving Pegasus from the NSO Group, are extremely uncommon and significantly more advanced than typical cybercriminal activity or consumer malware.
Apple stated that to identify such attacks, it relies on its own internal threat intelligence information and investigations.
“Our investigations may not provide absolute certainty, but Apple threat notifications are highly reliable alerts indicating that a user has been specifically targeted by a mercenary spyware attack. It is crucial to take these notifications very seriously,” the statement emphasized.
