Apple has issued a new round of security notifications to users in 99 countries, warning that they may have been targeted by mercenary spyware. The company has not identified who may be behind the attacks or confirmed whether any devices were compromised, but advises recipients to take the warnings seriously and seek expert help.
The Financial Times and TechCrunch reported that Apple sent the notifications to people it believes may have been targeted. Mercenary spyware is developed by specialist private companies and sold to governments or large organizations for targeted surveillance, rather than being spread indiscriminately like many conventional forms of malware.
German authorities are investigating reports that members of parliament and government employees received Apple’s warnings last Thursday. The Federal Office for Information Security urged those affected to assume their devices may no longer be secure. The German government said it was treating the warning seriously and investigating the circumstances.
Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius did not say whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz was among those affected. According to the Financial Times, the attacks used a “zero-click” vulnerability, which can compromise a device without requiring any action from its user.
TechCrunch also reported that people outside Germany received notifications. Among them was Beirut-based filmmaker Radwan Mortada, who shared his alert on X. Mortada said he had previously been targeted by Pegasus spyware in 2017 and 2021. He does not know who was behind the latest attempt or whether it was connected to an investigative documentary he directed.
Apple recommends that recipients enable Lockdown Mode and seek specialized assistance. The company has not disclosed who is responsible for this latest round of alerts or which government, if any, may have organized the targeting.
Sources: Pplware.