Sophisticated Cyberattack Causes Smartphone Crashes Since Late 2024, Affecting Government, Tech, Media With Possible Chinese Hackers

Cybersecurity investigators have identified a highly unusual software crash affecting a limited number of smartphones used by individuals in government, politics, technology, and journalism sectors. The crashes, which began in late 2024 and continued into 2025, have raised concerns about a sophisticated cyberattack. This attack potentially allowed hackers to infiltrate smartphones without any user interaction, indicating a significant breach in mobile security. The incident has triggered heightened alerts regarding cybersecurity threats in the United States, with some reports suggesting involvement of Chinese hackers and user errors contributing to the vulnerability.