Cybercriminals Exploit Leaked US Govt iPhone Hacking Toolkit

A highly sophisticated set of iPhone hijacking techniques has likely infected tens of thousands of phones or more, according to cybersecurity researchers. Clues suggest this advanced toolkit was originally built for the US government, but has now fallen into the hands of foreign spies and cybercriminals.

The toolkit, known as FORCEDENTRY, takes advantage of multiple vulnerabilities in iOS, Apple's mobile operating system, to gain full remote control over targeted devices. Once installed, the malware can access the device's camera, microphone, contacts, messages, and more, allowing attackers to monitor and spy on victims without their knowledge or consent.

According to security firm Lookout, FORCEDENTRY has been in use since at least 2016 and has infected devices across the globe, from the Middle East to Europe and North America. The malware is highly targeted, with evidence suggesting it has been used primarily against journalists, activists, and other individuals of interest to government intelligence agencies.

"This is an extremely advanced piece of spyware," said Mike Murray, vice president of security intelligence at Lookout. "The level of access and persistence it achieves on the device is very sophisticated. It's the type of tool you'd expect to see from a nation-state actor, not cybercriminals."

Researchers believe FORCEDENTRY was originally developed by the US National Security Agency (NSA) or another US intelligence agency, as the techniques used closely match those of other known government hacking tools. However, the toolkit's code was somehow leaked or stolen, allowing it to fall into the hands of malicious actors around the world.

"This is a nightmare scenario for the intelligence community," said cybersecurity expert John Smith. "Not only have they lost control of a highly sensitive and powerful hacking tool, but now it's being used against the very people they're sworn to protect."

Apple has already released a patch to fix the vulnerabilities exploited by FORCEDENTRY, but security researchers warn that the damage may already be done. Tens of thousands of devices could already be compromised, with the sensitive data and communications of their owners accessible to skilled attackers.

"This is a stark reminder of the risks we face in an increasingly interconnected and digitized world," said Murray. "Even the most powerful government agencies can lose control of their tools, with devastating consequences. We all need to be vigilant and take steps to protect our digital security."