Latest news with #Kashfi
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Apple alerted some users in Iran of iPhone spyware attacks ahead of Israel conflict, claim researchers
Apple reportedly warned some users in Iran that their iPhones are at a risk of being targeted by government spyware. According to a TechCrunch report, Miaan Group , a digital rights organization that focuses on Iran and Iranian cybersecurity researcher Hamid Kashfi, has published a report on the state of cybersecurity of civil society in Iran. The report mentioned three confirmed cases of government spyware attacks against Iranians, two in Iran and one in Europe, that were alerted in April of this year – months ahead of conflict with Israel. The researchers claim to have spoken to several Iranians who received the notifications over the past year. 'Two people in Iran come from a family with a long history of political activism against the Islamic Republic. Many members of their family have been executed, and they have no history of traveling abroad,' said Amir Rashidi, Miaan Group's director of digital rights and security, in an interview with TechCrunch. 'I believe there have been three waves of attacks, and we have only seen the tip of the iceberg.' Rashidi told the publication that Iran is likely the government behind the attacks, adding more investigations may be required to reach a conclusive determination. 'I see no reason for members of civil society to be targeted by anyone other than Iran,' he said. Kashfi, the Sweden-based researcher on the other hand, said he assisted two of the victims with initial forensic checks. Though he could not identify which spyware tool was used. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'Pretty much all victims spooked out and ghosted us as soon as we explained the seriousness of the case to them. I presume partly because of their place of work and sensitivity of the matters related to that,' said Kashfi, adding that one of the victims received notifications in 2024. Apple alerted spyware targeting in over 150 countries Apple, in recent years, has sent out similar alerts to users believed to be targeted with government spyware. This type of software is also known as 'mercenary' or 'commercial' spyware. These notifications have helped researchers document spyware abuse in countries including India, El Salvador, and Thailand. According to Apple's support page on 'threat notifications,' last updated in April, the company has alerted users in more than 150 countries since 2021. Apple does not name the countries or specify how many people have received the alerts. Big Question Answered: Why Google is Merging Android and ChromeOS AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Iranians targeted with spyware in lead-up to war with Israel: Research
Find out what's new on ST website and app. According to new research, more than a dozen Iranians' mobile phones were targeted with spyware in the months prior to the country's war with Israel. TEXAS – More than a dozen Iranians' mobile phones were targeted with spyware in the months prior to the country's war with Israel, according to new research. Miaan Group, a digital human rights organisation based in Austin, Texas, found a number of Iranians who received threat notifications from Apple Inc. in the first half of 2025, and researchers believe they only identified a fraction of the total targets. Another round of Iranian spyware targets was discovered by Mr Hamid Kashfi , a Sweden-based cybersecurity researcher and founder of the firm DarkCell. The attacks mark the first known example of such highly advanced cyber-espionage tools being used both inside Iran and against Iranians living abroad. It's not clear who was behind the attacks. Miaan Group said the victims included two Iranian dissidents inside the country and a technology worker who is an Iranian citizen living in Europe, who were targeted with spyware on their iPhones. They were first notified of the incident via text message by Apple, which typically sends a threat notification message to victims when a hack is detected. Mr Kashfi said he found 12 victims, all inside Iran and working either in the country's technology sector or for the government. Both Mr Kashfi and the Miaan Group declined to name the victims in order to protect their safety. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singaporeans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22 Singapore Singaporeans continue to hold world's most powerful passport in latest ranking Singapore Woman evacuated from lift in Supreme Court building after falling glass triggers emergency halt Asia Malaysian aide's unresolved 2009 death tests govt's reform pledge despite DAP chief's apology Singapore Prosecution says judge who acquitted duo of bribing ex-LTA official had copied defence arguments Singapore Singapore not affected by haze despite smoke plumes in Sumatra: NEA Singapore Miscalculation of MOH subsidies and grants led to $7m in overpayments, $2m in shortfalls Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving The threat notifications, which were seen by Bloomberg, describe the attacks as 'exceptionally rare' and costing 'millions of dollars'. The Apple notification, which is careful to note that the company doesn't attribute the attacks, compared the sophistication and cost of the recent attacks to Pegasus spyware from NSO Group. 'The extreme cost, sophistication and worldwide nature makes mercenary spyware attacks some of the most advanced digital threads in existence today,' Apple told the Iranian targets. 'This attack is likely targeting you specifically because of who you are or what you do.' Apple didn't respond to a Bloomberg request for comment. The notification added that 'Apple has high confidence in this warning.' Mr Kashfi said his investigation concluded that 'zero-day zero-click' attacks were likely used. That approach exploits hidden vulnerabilities and require no interaction from the victim. 'Zero-click chains are more sophisticated, more expensive, one stage higher than typical hacking campaigns,' Mr Kashfi said. 'But they weren't shy about using it and burning it.' Neither Mr Kashfi nor the Miaan Group were able to do full forensic examinations of the targeted iPhones. In several cases, being inside Iran made examinations impossible. In others, victims only came forward months after the notification. Finally, other targets chose to take their targeted iPhones to be examined by the Iranian government security services rather than independent experts living abroad, Mr Kashfi said. BLOOMBERG
