Apple Warns iPhone Users About Mercenary Spyware Attacks: What to Do If You're Notified

These attacks usually target journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats. Apple has sent alerts to iPhone users in 100 countries and recommends they enable Lockdown Mode.

By Jibin Joseph

Apple has detected mercenary spyware attacks on select iPhones and issued Threat Notifications to those affected, TechCrunch reports.

"Apple detected a targeted mercenary spyware attack against your iPhone," reads the subject of the message sent from threat-notifications@email.apple.com via email and iMessage. To confirm if it's genuinely from Apple, you can sign in to account.apple.com and look for a notification up top.

Mercenary spyware attacks are well-funded zero-click attacks often associated with state-sponsored actors. These attacks target specific iPhones, extract information, and vanish. Victims often include journalists, activists, politicians, and diplomats. 

Apple has been issuing these notifications since 2021. Two similar notifications went out last year, and the latest affects users in 100 countries. The iPhone maker doesn't reveal what caused the attack or how it was detected, "as that may help mercenary spyware attackers adapt their behavior to evade detection in the future."

At least two recipients have publicly acknowledged receiving the alert, TechCrunch notes. One is an Italian journalist named Ciro Pellegrino, who works for FanPage and published a detailed article about the threat alert. The other is Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch right-wing activist, who shared screenshots of the entire email in an X post. 

The email includes urgent measures recipients must take. First up is enabling Lockdown Mode, which limits or disables key features on your Apple device when you believe you're being directly targeted by malware, spyware, or hackers. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Lockdown Mode and tap Turn On Lockdown Mode.

If you have received Apple's threat alert or suspect your device was hit by a cyberattack, you must enable Lockdown Mode on the Macs and iPads you use as well.

(Credit: Lance Whitney/PCMag)

The next step is to update all your Apple devices and the messaging and cloud apps on them to the latest software version. Finally, Apple recommends getting expert help from nonprofits, such as Digital Security Helpline.