Apple Warns iPhone Users in 99 Countries of Mercenary Spyware Targeting

Apple sent a new round of mercenary spyware threat notifications to selected iPhone users in 99 countries, including journalists and documentary filmmakers. Security researcher Costin Raiu reported the wave on October 30; it concerns new attacks distinct from August’s alerts, which covered 110 countries. The country count does not indicate the number of victims or confirmed infections. Apple has not publicly identified the attackers, spyware product, delivery method, or exploited vulnerability, leaving attribution to Pegasus or any other tool unsupported.

Recipients should independently verify warnings through their Apple Account, update their devices, enable Lockdown Mode, and seek specialist assistance through Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline. Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton cautioned that receiving no notification does not rule out infection. Apple says these costly, highly targeted operations affect a small number of people, often because of their work or public roles, and it has notified users in more than 150 countries overall. The latest alerts come ahead of final negotiations on voluntary Pall Mall Process industry standards for commercial hacking tools, amid continued concerns about spyware abuse against civil society and opposition figures.