NEW DELHI – Technology giant Apple has issued a warning to some iPhone users in India, alerting them of a possible “mercenary spyware attack” that could compromise their device’s security.

This notification is the second of its kind sent to users in India and 98 other countries worldwide.

According to Apple, the potential attack is “exceptionally rare” and “vastly more sophisticated” than regular cybercriminal activity. The company stated that such attacks, like those using Pegasus from the NSO Group, are individually deployed against a small number of targets and can cost millions of dollars.

Iltija Mufti, daughter of former J&K Chief Minister and President of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti, alleged on Wednesday that her cell phone has been ‘hacked’ by Pegasus spyware.

“Got an Apple alert that my phone been hacked by Pegasus which GOI (Government of India) has admittedly procured and weaponised to harass critics and political opponents,” Iltija Mufti wrote on X.

She also accused the BJP of snooping on women leaders who do not toe their line.

“BJP shamelessly snoops on women only because we refuse to toe their line. How low will you stoop? ” Iltija Mufti added.

In April, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In) had flagged multiple vulnerabilities in Apple’s operating system for iPhone and iPad, including flaws in Safari web browser versions before 17.4.1 iOS. This could allow attackers to execute arbitrary code on targeted devices.

Apple has sent similar notifications to users in over 150 countries since 2021, including a warning of a “state-sponsored” attack on devices in October 2023. The company is urging users to be cautious and take necessary precautions to protect their devices from potential spyware attacks.