Apple on Wednesday alerted certain users in 92 countries that they may have been the target of spyware. As reported by TechCrunch, the email that was sent said, “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-.”
Apple’s message specifically points out that this is a targeted attack on specific users, not a widespread one on the masses. “This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do,” the email states. “Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning–please take it seriously.”
While Apple doesn’t provide detail as to why a person may be targeted, they are usually government officials, politicians, activists, and journalists. “We are unable to provide more information about what caused us to send you this notification, as that may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future.”
According to Apple’s support document on threat notifications, if the company “detects activity consistent with a mercenary spyware attack” it informs the user with an email and iMessage notification, and it displays a Threat Notification at the top of the page when a user logs into appleid.apple.com, which is the web portal to a user’s Apple ID.
Apple’s support document recommends that recipients of the warning should “enlist expert help.” The company specifically states that users can contact Access Now and its Digital Security Helpline, which is available for free 24 hours a day, 7 days per week. The Helpline can assist in assessing risk, fixing problems, and providing advice on how to secure your devices and data.
iPhone viruses and malware are rare, but no device is completely invulnerable. Apple urges users to update to the most recent version of iOS that a device can support to ensure that the latest security patches are installed. Learn more about iPhone malware and viruses. We also have tips on how to protect your phone from hackers.
Apple changes wording to ‘mercenary spyware’
Apple previously called such activity “state-sponsored attacks” but updated its support document on Wednesday, replacing it with “mercenary spyware.” According to Reuters, the change comes after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was accused of trying to hack into the iPhones of his opposition. Reuters said the Indian government pressured Apple when it linked the attack to the state.
Apple also updated its support document to specifically call out the NSO Group, a private company that developed the Pegasus spyware. Pegasus was created to track members of government, politicians, activists, and journalists. A free software tool is available that checks iPhone backups for spyware such as Pegasus.
Author: Roman Loyola, Senior Editor, Macworld
Roman is a Macworld Senior Editor with over 30 years of experience covering the tech industry, focusing on the Mac and other products in the Apple ecosystem. He is also the host of the Macworld Podcast. His career started at MacUser, where he received Apple certification as a repair technician (when Apple did that kind of thing). He's also worked for MacAddict, MacLife, and TechTV.