Major Unresolved Security Issue Puts iPhone Users at Risk of Hacking, Google Warns
In a rare situation, Google is warning iPhone users about several zero-day vulnerability threats that can be exploited to hack the devices. In fact, the company explains that government hackers have used this flaw to target iPhone users with spyware.
The details of this threat have been provided by Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG), which is responsible for monitoring and informing the public about government hacking attempts. The group has specifically talked about a Spanish startup called Variston, which has developed spyware to exploit salespeople.
Here, TAG has referred to a hacking attempt by a group working for the government that knew about zero-day issues that Apple didn’t.
Google has already kept Variston on its radar after analyzing the company several times for malware in 2022 and again in 2023.
iPhone users face various security threats, but usually Apple is aware of these problems and quickly releases a patch to fix the loopholes. However, zero-day threats are a big concern for giants like Google and Apple, who need more cooperation to help each other avoid major bugs that can be exploited in large numbers. So how is this zero-day attack different and what method did hackers use to exploit the problem?
According to reports, the attackers sent a malicious link via text message to infect the vulnerable iPhone. This is usually enough for bad actors to gain access to the victim’s device and gain remote access to steal data and other information.
The report does not say who used the spyware developed by Variston, but based on the company’s profile, it is likely a government network. In addition to Variston, Google is monitoring a few other companies involved in the production of spyware, such as Cy4Gate, RCS Lab and Negg.
