iPhone users in 92 countries receive spyware attack warning from Apple

In a significant security alert, Apple Inc. sent notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries, warning them that they might have been targeted by mercenary spyware developed by an Israeli surveillance firm called NSO Group. The Pegasus spyware, which is infamous for infecting mobile devices and gaining unauthorized access to their data, was reportedly used in these potential attacks.

The Pegasus Project, a collaborative investigation by Amnesty International's Security Lab and Forbidden Stories, first revealed the extent of this targeted surveillance in July 2021. The investigation uncovered evidence suggesting that the NSO Group's Pegasus spyware had been used to infect thousands of mobile devices belonging to journalists, activists, politicians, and other high-profile individuals across the globe.

The list of affected countries includes but is not limited to Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Tunisia, UAE, and the United Arab Emirates.

Apple's warning came after the Forbidden Stories and Amnesty International shared their findings with the tech giant. The notification read as follows: "Government-used spyware called Pegasus, developed by Israeli company NSO Group, was detected on your iPhone. This discovery is consistent with reports that NSO Group's Pegasus spyware was used to target UDID [Unique Device Identifier] X."

The UDID mentioned in the notification is a unique identifier assigned to every iOS device. The notification did not provide any further details about how the targeted individuals' devices were compromised or whether any data was accessed or stolen.

The NSO Group has maintained that it only sells its Pegasus software to government agencies for use against criminals and terrorists. However, numerous reports suggest that the software has also been used for political espionage and targeted surveillance against dissidents and journalists.

Apple has taken steps to help affected users protect their devices. The company released an update for its iOS operating system, iOS 14.6.1, which includes a mitigation against the Pegasus vulnerability. Additionally, Apple has advised users to keep their devices updated with the latest software and to be cautious when clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments, especially from unknown sources.

The Pegasus scandal has raised concerns about privacy and surveillance, prompting calls for greater transparency and accountability from governments and technology companies alike. The incident serves as a reminder that even the most sophisticated devices and security measures are not foolproof against targeted attacks by advanced threat actors.