Mysterious iPhone malware puts German politicians on alert
Device can be infected without a click.
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- Several German lawmakers and public figures received Apple alerts about possible mercenary spyware targeting.
- Germany’s BSI says it does not yet know whether devices were compromised or only attacked.
- Such spyware can access messages, calls, contacts, location data, cameras, and microphones without obvious signs.
- Affected parliament members are advised to treat their devices as potentially compromised.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Fears rise in Germany, as politicians’ devices may have been infected by sophisticated spyware.
Several members of the German Parliament, Bundestag, and other public figures have received Apple threat notifications indicating mercenary spyware infection.
Although the full scope of the suspected attack remains unknown, the alleged targeting of politicians raises the possibility of an espionage motive.
Mercenary spyware is commercially developed surveillance software sold to government agencies and used to target specific individuals.
Pegasus, a military-grade surveillance spyware developed by the Israeli NSO Group to track iOS and Android devices, is one of the most prominent examples of such spyware.
In most cases, attackers have infected devices without victims taking any action, in so-called zero-click attacks.
A specially crafted message can compromise a device without the recipient even opening it. Victims typically have no indication that their phones have been compromised.
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Once installed, such spyware can give attackers access to private messages, including those sent through encrypted messaging apps, as well as calls, contacts, calendars, and location data. It can also allow them to remotely activate a device's microphone and camera.
Apple sends threat notifications when it believes a user has been individually targeted by mercenary spyware, which it describes as “vastly more sophisticated than regular cybercriminal activity.” Warnings appear on an iPhone’s lock screen and in its Settings, and are also sent by email.
The company says these attacks are harder to detect and prevent, but stresses that the vast majority of users will never be targeted.
The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has confirmed that the notifications have been arriving since October 29th. It remains unclear how many people are affected.
“The BSI is unaware whether these notifications indicate actual compromises or merely signal attempted attacks. Generally, mercenary spyware is assumed to infect devices without the user's knowledge or consent,” the official notice reads.
BSI has started informing affected parliament members. Recipients are advised to assume their devices may have been compromised as a precaution.