Apple Warns iPhone Users in 98 Countries of Mercenary Spyware Threats

Apple Warns iPhone Users in 98 Countries of Mercenary Spyware Threats

Apple has alerted iPhone users in 98 countries about potential mercenary spyware attacks, marking the second such warning campaign this year. This follows a similar notification sent to users in 92 nations in April.

Since 2021, Apple has been issuing these threat notifications, covering over 150 countries. The latest alert, issued on Wednesday, did not specify the attackers' identities or the exact countries where the warnings were sent.

The notification read: “Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID -xxx-. This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously.”

Users in India are among those who received these latest warnings. In October, Apple had sent similar alerts to several journalists and politicians in India. Amnesty International later found Pegasus, a notorious spyware developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group, on the iPhones of prominent Indian journalists.

Apple emphasized the sensitivity of its threat detection methods, warning that revealing more details could help attackers avoid future detection. Notably, Apple has shifted its terminology, now describing these incidents as “mercenary spyware attacks” rather than “state-sponsored” attacks.

The company stated that it relies exclusively on “internal threat-intelligence information and investigations to detect such attacks.”