Apple warns users in 92 countries of mercenary spyware attacks

Apple has issued threat notifications to iPhone users in 92 countries, warning them of potential mercenary spyware attacks. The alerts, sent on Wednesday, informed recipients that their devices may have been targeted by remote compromise attempts.

The company's notifications, which lack specific details about the attackers or the affected countries, urged users to take the threat seriously. According to Apple, these warnings are based on high-confidence detection of targeted attacks.

This isn't the first time Apple has issued such alerts. Since 2021, the tech giant has notified users in over 150 countries about potential threats. Notably, last year, similar warnings were sent to journalists and politicians in India, where the NSO Group's Pegasus spyware was later discovered on some iPhones.

The timing of these alerts coincides with increasing concerns over state-sponsored efforts to influence elections. While Apple's notifications didn't explicitly mention this context, they emphasized the seriousness of the threats posed by mercenary spyware attacks.