Apple’s Warning to Indian Leaders and Journalists
Apple has issued warnings to numerous Indian opposition leaders and journalists, alerting them to the possibility of state-sponsored cyberattacks. The notifications, sent at the same time, informed the recipients that they were being targeted by state-sponsored attackers attempting to compromise their iPhones. These attacks could potentially enable attackers to access sensitive data, communications, and even the device’s camera and microphone.
Dear Modi Sarkar, why are you doing this? pic.twitter.com/3hWmAx00ql
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) October 31, 2023
Recipients of Apple’s Alert
Several high-profile individuals in India received the warnings, indicating the seriousness of the situation. Some of the notable recipients of Apple’s alert include:
- Mahua Moitra (Trinamool Congress MP)
- Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena UBT MP)
- Raghav Chadha (AAP MP)
- Shashi Tharoor (Congress MP)
- Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM MP)
- Sitaram Yechury (CPI(M) general secretary and former MP)
- Pawan Khera (Congress spokesperson)
- Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party president)
- Siddharth Varadarajan (founding editor, The Wire)
- Sriram Karri (resident editor, Deccan Chronicle)
- Samir Saran (president, Observer Research Foundation)
- Revathi (independent journalist)
- K.C. Venugopal (Congress MP)
- Supriya Shrinate (Congress spokesperson)
- Multiple individuals working in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s office
- Revanth Reddy (Congress MP)
- T.S. Singhdeo (Chhattisgarh deputy CM and Congress leader)
- Ravi Nair (journalist, OCCRP)
- K.T. Rama Rao (Telangana minister and BRS leader)
- Anand Mangnale (regional editor, South Asia, OCCRP)
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Nature of the Attack
The email from Apple, titled “ALERT: State-sponsored attackers may be targeting your iPhone,” emphasizes that these attackers are likely singling out individuals based on their identity or profession. Compromising a device through a state-sponsored attack could potentially provide attackers with remote access to sensitive information, communications, and even the phone’s camera and microphone. The recipients are urged to take the warning seriously.
Apple’s Cautionary History
Apple’s warning language closely resembles alerts they have issued in the past to victims of spyware attacks worldwide. However, the fact that multiple individuals in India received the same alert simultaneously suggests a specific and India-focused cluster of targets. In its statement, Apple did not attribute the threat notifications to any particular state-sponsored attacker.
Serious Implications
The reports of these threat notifications from Apple should be taken very seriously and thoroughly investigated to determine the source and extent of the potential malware attack. India-specific clusters of targets highlight the significance of the issue, especially concerning democracy, as journalists, parliamentarians, and constitutional functionaries have previously been targeted with spyware like Pegasus. These alerts call for a deep concern for India’s democracy.
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Apple’s Role in the Investigation
In response to these notifications, Apple has been asked to join the investigation to provide accurate information regarding the alleged state-sponsored attacks. Apple introduced threat notifications in 2021, and these notifications have been sent to individuals in nearly 150 countries. While Apple doesn’t attribute the notifications to specific state-sponsored attackers, the seriousness of the issue cannot be understated.
