Reports from security researchers indicate that a number of Iranians have been alerted by Apple about their iPhones being targeted with government spyware. Miaan Group and Hamid Kashfi, specialists in digital rights and cybersecurity, have spoken to individuals who received these notifications in the past year.
Bloomberg first reported the incidents involving spyware notifications received by Iranians.
Miaan Group released a report on the cybersecurity landscape in Iran, highlighting three cases of government spyware attacks against Iranians, two within Iran and one in Europe. These attacks were brought to light in April of this year.
Amir Rashidi, Miaan Group’s director of digital rights and security, shared insights on two Iranians targeted by spyware due to their family’s history of political activism against the Islamic Republic. He emphasized the need for further investigation into these attacks to determine the responsible party.
Hamid Kashfi, founder of DarkCell security firm, assisted victims in preliminary forensics but was unable to pinpoint the spyware developer behind the attacks. Some victims opted not to pursue the investigation further.
Contact Us
Have you received a threat notification from Apple? Share your experience securely with Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai via Signal, Telegram, Keybase, or email.
Concerningly, most victims withdrew from the investigation upon realizing the gravity of the situation. The identity of the spyware creator remains undisclosed.
Apple has been proactive in notifying individuals targeted by government spyware, like NSO Group’s Pegasus or Paragon’s Graphite. These notifications have aided researchers in uncovering spyware abuses in various countries, including India, El Salvador, and Thailand.
On Apple’s support page, the tech giant acknowledges the global prevalence of government spyware, having issued threat notifications to users in over 150 countries since 2021.
To assist affected individuals, Apple advises contacting digital rights group AccessNow, known for its helpline staffed with researchers trained to investigate spyware attacks worldwide.
Despite reaching out for comment, Apple has not responded regarding the notifications sent to Iranians.
