Possible iPhone spyware campaign inside U.S. discovered by researchers

Researchers have published a report suggesting that iPhones in the US and EU may have been targeted by an active spyware campaign. The report from iVerify claims that six iPhones, including those belonging to government officials, media organizations, and an AI company, may have been targeted through the "Nickname" feature in iOS, which sends notifications when someone's iCloud photo or name changes. Three of the phones showed unusual crashes, which iVerify considers potential signs of tampering. Apple has fixed the flaw, but disputes that it was ever used to hack devices, calling it a "conventional software bug". iVerify has not identified who was behind the activity, but the potential targets had previously been surveilled or hacked by Chinese state-linked groups. The company is sharing its findings publicly, hoping to encourage more security researchers to investigate the campaign further. iVerify recommends that high-risk users keep their phones updated and turn on Apple's Lockdown Mode, which is designed to guard against spyware. The company believes that Lockdown Mode could have prevented these potential infections. The report highlights the need for continued vigilance against emerging threats and the importance of protecting high-risk users.