WhatsApp has issued threat notifications to users who were targeted by advanced, “zero-click” spyware in the last 90 days. The malicious campaign exploited vulnerabilities in both WhatsApp and the device’s operating system to compromise a user’s data without any interaction from the victim.
A new threat has emerged as WhatsApp begins sending urgent notifications to individuals believed to have been targeted by a sophisticated and highly advanced spyware campaign. Active for the past 90 days, this operation leveraged a “zero-click” exploit, which allows attackers to compromise a device and access data without any user interaction, such as clicking a link or downloading a file. Donncha Ó Cearbhaill, the Head of the Security Lab at Amnesty International, confirmed the nature of the attack, stating that he is seeking expert help after receiving the alert himself.
The attack’s success relied on chaining together a series of vulnerabilities.
Amnesty International’s research indicates the exploit targeted an authorization bypass issue in WhatsApp on iOS and Mac, tracked as CVE-2025-55177. This flaw was then combined with a recently patched Apple vulnerability (CVE-2025-43300) found in a core image library. The combination of these exploits enabled threat actors to force the device to render malicious content from an arbitrary URL, leading to the compromise of the device and its data.
The text of the notification sent to affected users warns that “a malicious message may have been sent to you through WhatsApp and combined with other vulnerabilities in your device’s operating system to compromise your device and the data it contains, including messages.” While the company cannot be certain of a full compromise, they are providing this notification “out of an abundance of caution.” The message strongly recommends a full device factory reset and urges users to keep their operating systems and WhatsApp apps up to date.
This type of zero-click exploit is a hallmark of well-resourced threat actors, typically including state-sponsored groups and commercial spyware vendors. These surveillance tools are essential components in stealth campaigns often used to target high-risk individuals like journalists, human rights defenders, dissidents, and political opponents. The surveillance industry continues to experience exponential growth, fueled by the sustained demand from these malicious actors for sophisticated malware and surveillance tools.
The incident underscores a critical aspect of modern cybersecurity—that vulnerabilities can be chained together across different platforms. As Donncha Ó Cearbhaill noted, the Apple vulnerability could also be exploited through other apps. To protect against such attacks, he recommends that all users not only keep their devices and apps updated but also enable enhanced security features. On Apple devices, this includes iOS Lockdown Mode, and on Android, the equivalent is Advanced Protection Mode. These features are designed to reduce the attack surface and provide a higher level of defense against highly targeted threats.
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