Italian spyware iPhone attack: Why there's probably no need to worry

The attack underscores the importance of keeping iOS up to date.

- ROMAN LOYOLA

Google's Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has published an article about spyware from RCS Labs (fave.co/3bLTYIn), an Italian company that targeted iPhones and Android phones in Italy and Kazakhstan. When installed, the spyware would monitor the user's messages and contacts.

However, Apple has fixed the exploits used by RCS Labs-some as far back as iOS 12's cycle from 2018 to 2019. iPhone users who regularly update iOS are not in danger of having their iPhone exploited by RCS Lab's spyware.

Google TAG listed the following exploits used by RCS Labs. We've listed the iOS version when Apple issued a security patch and the links to its security notes. Apple also patched iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS when applicable.

iOS 12: CVE-2018-4344 (aka LightSpeed); fave.co/30EQSOM