DADADEL
iPhone users in 92 countries have received a warning from Apple, alerting them to the potential threat of a ‘mercenary spyware attack’. This follows a Reddit user’s disclosure earlier this week that they were among those who received the notification.
The post clarified that the notification originated from an Apple email address, cautioning that attackers might be singling out recipients based on their identity or profession.
As it transpired, they were among numerous recipients of these notifications, with users spanning across India and 91 other countries also receiving similar messages.
Indian news outlets such as the Economic Times and the Indian Express have reported instances where users received warnings about attackers attempting to remotely compromise their iPhones linked to their Apple IDs. The warnings advised users to take the threat seriously.
Apple’s website clarifies that their threat notifications serve to inform and aid users who might have been specifically targeted by mercenary spyware attacks.
Apple initially cited ‘state-sponsored attackers’ but has now revised its stance to address ‘mercenary spyware attacks’.
The company underscores the historical involvement of state actors and private firms in developing such spyware.
Notifications manifest in two ways: a Threat Notification on appleid.apple.com post-login and email/iMessage alerts linked to the user’s Apple ID.
If you receive such a notification, Apple advises entering ‘Lockdown Mode’ through your device settings for further protection.
Apple distinguishes mercenary spyware attackers from typical cybercriminals by their focus on specific individuals, employing highly intricate and costly techniques.
Among those frequently targeted are journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats, as Apple cautions that mercenary spyware attacks persist worldwide.
Since 2021, Apple has issued notifications spanning over 150 countries, actively identifying and addressing these targeted attacks.
The company did not disclose the reason behind sending out the notifications this week to iPhone users. However, it asserts that it depends entirely on internal threat intelligence and investigations to detect such attacks.
“Although our investigations can never achieve absolute certainty, Apple threat notifications are high-confidence alerts that a user has been individually targeted by a mercenary spyware attack and should be taken very seriously,” the company says.
