Hackers Target German Lawyers' and Government Officials' Devices: Minister
Germany’s cybersecurity agency told lawmakers to treat affected iPhones as compromised after Apple warned users in 99 countries about mercenary spyware.
- Apple issued high-priority threat notifications to users in 99 countries, warning they may have been targeted by sophisticated mercenary spyware. The company did not disclose specific attackers or confirm if devices were compromised.
- Cybersecurity researcher Costin Raiu first reported the attacks on October 30, noting they were unrelated to previous incidents for which Apple issued alerts in August. These represent highly targeted attempts, not broad phishing scams.
- German lawmakers and government officials received alerts last Thursday, prompting the Federal Office for Information Security to issue an urgent warning over the weekend. Spokesperson Stefan Kornelius declined to confirm whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz was affected.
- Others outside Germany, including Radwan Mortada, a Beirut-based filmmaker, also received alerts. The Federal Office advised recipients to "assume their device is no longer secure," while the German government investigates the incident.
- The attacks reportedly exploited zero-click vulnerabilities, enabling device compromise without user interaction. Apple advises users to enable Lockdown Mode, found under Settings > Privacy & Security, to limit features attackers could exploit.
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147 Articles
iPhone Users in 99 Countries Receive Apple Spyware Warnings as Germany Investigates: Report
Apple has warned users in 99 countries about possible mercenary spyware attacks. German lawmakers and government officials have also received similar alerts. Apple has issued fresh spyware warnings to users across 99 countries. The alerts have also reached German lawmakers and government officials.
German politicians' phones may be infected with illegal software
Apple has warned users in 99 countries about possible spyware attacks <p>Apple has sent out a warning about possible spyware attacks in 99 countries. In Germany, they are checking whether officials and legislators.</p>
Shortly before the end of his term as President of the Federal Council, Andreas Bovenschulte (SPD) received a warning on his mobile phone – with potentially serious consequences.
In addition to Rhin, Apple has warned elected officials and ministers that their phones are subject to surveillance tools. Confirmed by Berlin on 1 November, the alert concerns software capable of reading up to the encrypted exchanges.
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