Apple is warning iPhone users in 110 countries about mercenary spyware

Apple has alerted iPhone users in 110 countries about potentially being targeted by sophisticated mercenary spyware. The company has not disclosed details about the threat or the culprits behind the attacks. However, it provided several steps users can take to safeguard their data and devices. The spyware attacks were initially reported on October 30 by cybersecurity researcher Costin Raiu.

He noted that these attacks were distinct from previous incidents, which prompted Apple to issue alerts in August. Raiu stated that the attacks involved iPhone users in 99 countries, including several high-profile journalists and documentary filmmakers. Apple confirmed on October 31 that it had sent high-confidence threat notifications to select users in 110 countries.

The company did not confirm if any devices or accounts had been compromised or identify the threat actors, attack vector, or software vulnerability involved. Apple emphasized that these attacks are not broad phishing scams but highly targeted attempts to extract data from specific individuals. Mercenary spyware often targets journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats, aiming to compromise devices without requiring victims to download a file or click an external link.

Successful attacks can provide threat actors with deep access to victims' devices, potentially enabling them to retrieve sensitive information such as call logs, messages, contact lists, location data, and media files. Apple clarified that zero-click exploits and other forms of mercenary spyware are costly, often amounting to millions of dollars due to their technical complexity.

The high costs and brevity of these attacks make them difficult to detect and prevent. Apple advises users experiencing a targeted cyberattack to enable Lockdown Mode, a feature designed to protect iPhone users against sophisticated threats by limiting access to potential attacker exploitation points. This feature can be found under Settings > Privacy & Security on compatible iPhones. Additionally, Apple recommends keeping devices updated to receive the latest security patches.