A spyware attack triggered WhatsApp and Apple to fix significant zero-day vulnerabilities, underlining the rising risks of cybersecurity threats to targeted users and confidential information.

A complex spyware operation has taken advantage of a zero-day exploit in WhatsApp on Apple devices, prompting new cybersecurity concerns in the world. The vulnerability, which was monitored as CVE-2025-55177, enabled attackers to infect iOS and macOS systems by manipulating the associated device synchronization messages.

WhatsApp says that the attack can be seen as an instance of self-exploitation along with a third vulnerability, a zero-day in the ImageIO framework (CVE-2025-43300), in Apple, which allowed the corruption of memory with malicious image files. The technique has been described by security researchers as focusing on a two-pronged exploit chain and thus is among the most sophisticated attacks observed in recent months.

WhatsApp confirmed that it has fixed the problem and it notified some users who are suspected of being targeted in the last 90 days with threats. The company responded by saying it had changed some of its apps to block this attack, and it recommended that users update their apps and perform a complete factory reset to protect themselves the most.

Apple has also released security patches in iOS, iPadOS, and in macOS and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has listed the Apple vulnerability in its list of exploited vulnerabilities.

Analysts have cautioned that the episode highlights the increasing cybersecurity threats associated with mercenary activity of spyware against journalists, civil society organizations and prominent individuals. Both WhatsApp and Apple are trying to get people around the world to be more alert, as advertising, communication, and personal data are all on the line.