iPhone users in 98 countries received a spyware warning from Apple on Wednesday.
Apple is sending out another round of spyware warnings to targeted users in 98 countries this week.
On Wednesday, numerous iPhone users reported receiving these messages and posted their experiences along with screenshots.
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"Apple detected that you are being targeted by a mercenary spyware attack that is trying to remotely compromise the iPhone associated with your Apple ID," reads Apple's notification, addressed to targets from a threats-notification@apple.com contact. "This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do. Although it’s never possible to achieve absolute certainty when detecting such attacks, Apple has high confidence in this warning — please take it seriously."
In its notification, Apple says it's been sending these types of warnings to affected users since 2021.
However, it seems these notifications first started using the "mercenary spyware attacks" language more recently. Apple described the spyware attacks in April as such, but TechCrunch reports that previous language from Apple described the attacks as "state-sponsored." That language no longer appears in Apple's warnings.
Apple says in the notification that the iPhone users receiving the warning are likely being targeted due to who they are or what they do. In viewing social media posts from users sharing the notification, it seems a significant number of these users work as journalists or in news media in some capacity.
The spyware warning from Apple doesn't provide any specific details regarding the threat. This is usually the case with Apple's warnings, which are meant to warn users so that they take proactive measures to protect their accounts and devices before they are actually compromised.
Shortly after the last Apple notification in April, cybersecurity researchers reported that Apple's warning was related to a surveillance spyware toolset known as LightSpy.
Mashable will monitor this story as more information about this latest attack becomes available.
