Unprecedented number of Apple users received recent spyware alert, say investigators

Investigators are reporting an "unprecedented" surge in Apple users receiving alerts about being targeted by mercenary spyware, a type of malware typically used by governments. The latest wave of notifications appears to be the largest yet, prompting a significant increase in people seeking assistance from digital rights organizations.

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The scale and geographic diversity of public posts about receiving notifications are pretty unprecedented.

Mohammed Al-Maskati, director of the Access Now team, told TechCrunch that since Friday, their helpline has received a record number of inquiries, with a 30% to 40% increase compared to typical volumes following Apple's alerts. Cybersecurity firm iVerify also confirmed a notable influx of threat notifications. Social media posts over the weekend further indicated a widespread public awareness of these alerts.

One recipient, a soldier in Ukraine's armed forces fighting against Russia, initially suspected a scam. "I was a bit surprised to be honest, I wouldn’t have thought I was important enough for them to target me like this. I am flattered though," the soldier told TechCrunch, adding that other Ukrainian military personnel have received similar notifications and expressed concern.

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For every public notification like this, you can imagine there’s a huge notification iceberg that the public will never learn about. This is a clear indication that something bigger is going on.

John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at The Citizen Lab, noted the "scale and geographic diversity of public posts" as unprecedented. He suggested that for every public notification, there's a much larger "notification iceberg" unseen by the public, indicating a significant and widespread issue. Both Al-Maskati and Scott-Railton believe the high volume of alerts could also be partly due to Apple's recent changes to its notification system.

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I was a bit surprised to be honest, I wouldn’t have thought I was important enough for them to target me like this. I am flattered though.