Spyware attack forces Apple’s hand, iOS patch rushed out

Apple has rushed out a software update after an attempt was made to break into a man’s iPhone using a spyware link that could have spied on his calls and messages.

“This, however, happens invisibly and silently, such that victims do not know they’ve been compromised”.

Apple has released an automatic update for its iPhone 6 and iPad devices to fix a major security flaw.

Mansoor was targeted five years ago with FinFisher spyware and again the following year with Hacking Team spyware, according to Citizen Lab research.

“The threat actor has never been caught before”, said Mike Murrary, a researcher with Lookout, describing the program as “the most sophisticated spyware package we have seen in the market”.

Citizen Lab and Lookout claim to have traced the malware to an Israeli organisation called the NSO Group and its commercial Pegasus product, with Citizen Lab hinting to links between the NSO Group and attacks in Mexico, Panama and the U.S. in the past.

In the case of Ahmed Mansoor, Marczak believes that the culprit was most likely the UAE, based on the simple fact that they’ve targeted him before.

How the hack was even detected is even more incredible: A human rights activist named Ahmed Mansoor, who has been a target of cyber-espionage in the past, received a odd text message that resembled software breaches he’d dealt with in the past. Once the update has been found, users may be prompted to input their device’s security code before downloading it. This means it can turn on the camera or microphone, install surveillance software, and read the contents of emails and messaging apps, as well as calendars. The next day he got another, this time with a link promising information on detainees in UAE jails. NSO Group’s Pegasus malware can also be used to target Android and BlackBerry devices, too.

Citizen Lab and Lookout said they informed Apple of their findings last week, enabling the technology giant to move quickly to fix the issues, resulting in iOS 9.3.5 being rolled out on Thursday.

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The company said it had no knowledge of any particular incidents. The risk to everyday users may have been minimal as the NSO Group says it sells its spyware only to governments.