Spyware suspected on iPhones of US, EU political figures: Report
Share this @internewscast.com


() iPhones belonging to political figures could have been compromised and used to spy on their owners, a new report from mobile research company iVerify found.

The six affected smartphones belonging to people tied to a U.S. political campaign, media organizations, artificial intelligence companies and a European Union member state’s government had a bug that prompted rare crashes associated with the “nickname” feature in iOS.

“If they do it in a very specific way, they can corrupt the memory on your phone, which allows them to conduct what’s called a sandbox escape,” said Rocky Cole, iVerify’s chief operating officer.

That method essentially allows hackers to “get around Apple’s security architecture,” Cole said.

Researchers said bad actors may have targeted the phones starting in November 2024. Apple fixed the vulnerability with an iOS update in early March.

iVerify told it was unable to share who the phones belonged to specifically, though some reports have pointed to the Harris-Walz campaign as a potential victim.

Researchers said it’s difficult to determine who was behind the potential hacks, but they told there was a common thread between all targets: the Communist Party of China.

iVerify said all the targets had either been previously surveilled by or engaged in some sort of activism against the CCP.

Ivan Krstić, Apple’s head of security engineering and architecture, pushed back on the findings in a statement to Axios.

“We’ve thoroughly analyzed the information provided by iVerify, and strongly disagree with the claims of a targeted attack against our users,” Krstić said.

The research team said they released the findings to ensure people know mobile exploitation is real and happening in the United States.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Ex-Boyfriend Reveals Difficulties in Celeste Rivas Hernandez’s Home Life

() An ex-boyfriend of Celeste Rivas Hernandez says she was not in…

Graduation Ceremony Celebrates Bristol, Virginia Recovery Court Participant

A ceremony took place Tuesday morning at the Bristol, Virginia Circuit Court…

“Dreaming of Parenthood: Woman Accused of Abducting Father and Two Children”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Authorities have detained a woman following an incident where…

Percentage of Mortgages with Rates Over 6% Hits Highest Point in a Decade

(NewsNation) — The days of 3% mortgages are gone, and 6% loans…

Official Start of Government Shutdown

IE 11 is not supported. For the best experience, please visit our…

Riverton Middle School Evacuated Due to Smoke and Burning Odor

RIVERTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Firefighters from various departments in Sangamon County were…

Exploring Georgia’s Medicaid Employment Mandates

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site…

Hegseth Discusses Updated Military Standards and Gender

IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site…

Cosmetic Surgery Chain Arrives with Troubled Doctors, Court Documents Reveal

Shortly after obtaining a role with a Georgia-based cosmetic surgery chain, California…

Girls Missing for 36 Years Found; Mother Was Stabbed to Death South of Las Vegas

Back in 1989, in Las Vegas, two young sisters were abandoned and…

Secretary Hegseth Discusses the ‘War Department Golden Rule’

IE 11 is no longer supported. For the best experience, please visit…

Georgia Educators Advocate for Smaller Classes and Higher Salaries Before 2026 Legislative Session

ATLANTA (WJBF) – Just three months remain until the 2026 legislative session,…