German lawmakers iPhones may have been targeted by spyware, government warns
The German government warned that politicians and public figures were targeted by spyware following threat notifications sent by Apple.
The German government is warning politicians and public figures that they were targeted by government-backed spyware, days after Apple began sending out notifications warning victims that their iPhones may have been hacked. Officials are treating the security incident with extreme seriousness.
- Germany’s BSI cybersecurity office confirmed that members of the Bundestag received Apple threat warnings.
- Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated that Berlin is taking the incident very seriously.
- Apple's latest batch of threat notifications was sent to users across 99 countries, including filmmaker Radwan Mortada.
German Government Response and BSI Guidance
Germany’s federal cybersecurity office, the BSI, announced that it became aware that members of the Bundestag and other notable figures received warnings from Apple regarding potential cyberattacks. Government spokesperson Stefan Kornelius stated that Berlin is taking the incident and warnings very seriously, though he did not disclose specific names of targeted officials. Because Apple does not explicitly confirm whether a device has been successfully compromised, the BSI advised that anyone receiving a threat notification should assume their device may have been compromised.
How Apple Threat Notifications Work
Read alsoApple warns German lawmakers over targeted mercenary spyware attacksApple periodically issues threat notifications to individuals it believes have been targeted by state-sponsored spyware. Such malware can extract private messages, location data, and other sensitive information from mobile devices, often relying on zero-click exploits that require no user interaction like clicking a link. While Apple does not attribute these attacks to specific governments or definitively confirm compromises, these alerts serve as critical early warnings for high-profile targets facing sophisticated digital espionage.
Global Scale and the Mercenary Spyware Market
The latest wave of Apple threat alerts reached users across 99 countries, as confirmed by recipients like Beirut-based filmmaker Radwan Mortada, who previously faced a spyware attack in 2021. This ongoing episode highlights the murky and expanding market for mercenary spyware, where private vendors develop and sell offensive hacking tools to various governments worldwide, posing continuous security challenges for civil society and lawmakers alike.
Source: TechCrunch
