Apple warns German MPs and ministers their iPhones were targeted by spyware

Apple has warned members of the German Bundestag and the federal government that their iPhones may have been targeted with commercial spyware. Germany's Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger confirmed the warnings on Sunday, November 1, on ARD's political talk show "Bericht aus Berlin", after tagesschau.de reported on a letter from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) to those affected. Apple had told the government that "certain devices may have been compromised with so-called spyware", Wildberger said.

According to the letter, which the ARD Berlin studio has seen, iPhones began receiving Apple threat notifications on October 29. The notifications said Apple had detected an attack with "mercenary spyware", Apple's term for commercial surveillance tools sold to governments, such as NSO Group's Pegasus. "We currently have no further information on the specific cause and background of the notifications," the BSI wrote.

A notification does not show whether an attack succeeded. The BSI therefore advised recipients "to assume as a precaution that the device may be compromised". Wildberger said the agency had reacted very quickly and contacted everyone affected in writing. He called the reports worrying but gave no further details and said it was too early to say what kind of attack it was, heise online reported.

Read the full article on vpnlab.io: https://vpnlab.io/en/apple-spyware-warning-bundestag-iphones-3176