Authorities in Russia’s security service reported that American intelligence operations were linked to a broad campaign that targeted smartphones. It was claimed that malware was found on iPhone devices belonging to individuals connected with Russian diplomatic missions, as well as representatives of NATO, China, Israel, and Syria.
According to official statements, several thousand iPhone units were reported as infected. The claims included not only foreign subscribers but also domestic users, with indications that registered SIM cards exploited by various countries in the NATO alliance and post-Soviet spaces, including diplomatic missions and embassies in Russia, were affected.
The agency described the malware as previously unknown software designed to exploit vulnerabilities present in Apple’s devices.
The security service suggested that Apple collaborates with United States intelligence agencies, particularly the National Security Agency. It was further stated that the public policy touted by Apple to protect user privacy does not align with the actions described by officials.
There were assertions that Apple grants U.S. intelligence broad access to devices, including those connected to officials and institutions associated with the White House.
Brother is watching you
The issue of personal mobile devices serving as surveillance tools is not new. On May 31, 2021, the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that Danish intelligence helped the United States NSA monitor high-profile figures in Germany, including former Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The report claimed that between 2012 and 2014 a Danish facility near Copenhagen allowed wiretapping operations to be conducted for Washington.
Subsequent reporting by NDR indicated that the German government was unaware of the surveillance, with Merkel learning about it only from media disclosures. Additional details suggested that ministries of the Danish government and parts of the military-industrial complex were within the scope of monitoring.
In 2013, a former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, released classified materials confirming that U.S. intelligence agencies engaged in global surveillance. The materials implied that the NSA and the CIA intercept emails and communications across many countries as part of programs like PRISM, with cooperation from major technology companies including Microsoft, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, and Apple.
Following the disclosures, Snowden fled to Hong Kong and later took up residence in Russia, where he was granted citizenship in September 2022 after facing espionage charges in the United States.
In 2021, French newspaper Les Echos highlighted broad use of Israel’s Pegasus mobile spyware by Western states for surveillance. Investigations by Forbidden Stories and other outlets identified tracking of journalists, politicians, and lawyers, noting that the system’s deployment was restricted to state actors with formal authorization from the Israeli government.
Reports indicated that wiretapping had been underway since 2016, and a list of 50,000 phone numbers across 50 countries was obtained by journalists. A separate tranche of material from 2017, associated with Vault 7 released by WikiLeaks, described CIA operations involving smartphone device exploitation and collaboration with partners to compromise Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, and other companies.
According to the materials, some hacks aimed at obtaining owner information while others used devices as covert transmitters. The Vault 7 documents also suggested collaboration between the CIA and British intelligence agencies in certain operations, including targeted hacking of Samsung devices in conjunction with MI5. The documentation referenced an American consulate in Frankfurt as a hub of espionage activities and noted that some CIA cybersecurity personnel held diplomatic credentials.