Apple Warns Users in 110 Countries They May Be Targets of Mercenary Spyware

Apple sent mercenary spyware threat notifications to users in 110 countries, including Ukrainian military members, in what researchers call an unprecedented notification wave.

Apple notified an unspecified number of users in 110 countries that they may have been targeted by mercenary spyware attacks, bringing total notifications to over 150 countries since the program began in late 2021. Apple does not attribute the attacks but describes the alerts as high-confidence indicators of individual targeting against journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats. Citizen Lab's John Scott-Railton called the geographic scale unprecedented, and Access Now reported a record number of help requests, with recipients including members of Ukraine's military. Apple advised users to update devices, enable 2FA and Lockdown Mode, and use Stolen Device Protection.