Threats · 6h ago
The Record reports that Apple sent suspected mercenary-spyware alerts to users in 99 countries, including Turkey-based Middle East Eye reporter Ragıp Soylu and Lebanese filmmaker Radwan Mortada. Soylu said this was his third Apple alert this year; Mortada said his phone had previously been targeted with Pegasus in 2017 and 2021.
Apple says it does not tie alerts to a specific actor or region. Threat researcher Costin Raiu, who verified several recipients’ notifications, said available logs showed no signs of compromise that could confirm who was responsible. The alert signals suspected targeting, not proof that a device was breached.
For newsrooms covering conflict or politically sensitive investigations, repeated alerts put a reporter and their device in the security picture, even when the operator and any successful compromise remain unconfirmed. A victim’s location—or the warning itself—cannot establish who is behind the targeting.
2 sources covering this story
The Record from Recorded Future
Apple warns users in 99 countries of mercenary spyware
Apple does not attribute attacks or the notices to specific malicious actors or geographical regions, the notification said, due to the “extreme cost, sophistication, and worldwide nature of mercenary spyware attacks [which] make them some of the most advanced digital threats in existence today.”
Apple notifications alert victims in 99 countries about mercenary spyware infections
As Apple issues new spyware threat notifications, rights groups urge stricter accountability ahead of final Pall Mall Process standard negotiations.
Part of the PlainSec briefing for 2026-11-02