Apple warns German politicians of potential phone compromise

Apple has warned several German politicians of a potential hacking attack on their mobile phones involving spyware, German newspaper Bild reports.

The perpetrators appear to have targeted the mobile phones of Bundestag and federal government members, the publication said.

It noted that Germany's minister for digitalisation and government modernisation, Karsten Wildberger, had confirmed this information.

"This concerns a notification from Apple stating that certain devices may have been compromised by so-called spyware," the minister explained.

He expressed concern regarding the reports but declined to provide further details.
According to the report, iPhone users began receiving notifications about the threat on Oct 29.

The issue concerns "mercenary spyware" — malicious software developed by specialised firms, the publication said.

It allows attackers to access a user's messages, contacts, calendar, and location, as well as to secretly activate the device's microphone and camera.
Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has notified potential targets in writing, advising them to operate under the assumption that their devices may have been compromised.

At this stage, however, there is no confirmation that the attackers actually succeeded in gaining access to the phones.