Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky said it had uncovered an American espionage operation that compromised thousands of iPhones using an iOS vulnerability that installed malware via iMessage zero-click exploits.
The delivery of the message exploits a vulnerability that leads to code execution without requiring any user interaction, leading to the download of additional malicious from the attackers’ server.
Kaspersky says the campaign started in 2019 and reports the attacks are still ongoing. The cybersecurity firm has named the campaign “Operation Triangulation” and is inviting anyone who knows more about it to share information.
In a statement, Apple denied the allegation. “We have never worked with any government to insert a backdoor into any Apple product and never will,” the firm said in a statement.
