Apple warns iPhone users in 99 countries over spyware attacks
German lawmakers and government officials among those notified of sophisticated security threats
Quick Look
- Apple has alerted iPhone users across 99 countries, including German officials, about potential sophisticated spyware targeting.
- The company has not identified the attackers, while security agencies advise users to enable Lockdown Mode and seek assistance.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Apple has been issuing threat notifications to users in over 150 countries since 2021 regarding potential state-sponsored spyware. The attacks often involve zero-click vulnerabilities.
Apple has warned iPhone users in 99 countries that sophisticated spyware may have targeted them, including German lawmakers and government officials.
The latest warnings began arriving on October 29, according to reports by TechCrunch and The Record. Apple has not identified the attackers or confirmed how many devices were successfully compromised.
The 99-country figure came from a notification received by Lebanese filmmaker and journalist Radwan Mortada.
Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said members of parliament and other prominent individuals had received Apple’s warnings.
The agency advised recipients to assume their devices may have been compromised.
German government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said authorities were taking the warnings seriously and investigating the suspected attacks.
He declined to say whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz was among those targeted.
The Financial Times reported that the suspected attacks involved a zero-click vulnerability, which can allow hackers to access a device without the owner opening a link or downloading a file.
The attackers and the spyware involved have not been identified.
Mortada, a Lebanese investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker, said he received an Apple notification on October 29.
He told The Record that Pegasus spyware had previously targeted his phone in 2017 and 2021.
It remains unclear whether the latest attacks are connected or who was responsible.
Such attacks can cost millions of dollars and may allow attackers to access messages, location information and other sensitive data.
Apple has issued similar warnings several times a year since 2021, reaching users in more than 150 countries overall.
The company says most iPhone users are unlikely to face such attacks.
Apple says genuine threat notifications appear on an affected iPhone’s Lock Screen and in Settings.
Users can also check for a notification by signing in directly to account.apple.com.
Those who receive an alert are advised to enable Lockdown Mode, update their devices and seek specialist security assistance.
Open Questions
- Who is behind the spyware attacks?
- How many devices were successfully compromised?
