Google and Apple rush out emergency fixes after zero-day attacks hit targeted users

Security update

Google and Apple have issued emergency security updates this week after uncovering a sophisticated hacking campaign that exploited previously unknown vulnerabilities in their products. The companies confirmed that at least some attacks were already underway before patches were prepared, suggesting that a government-backed actor or a commercial spyware vendor may be involved.

Google moved first on Wednesday, pushing out fixes for several Chrome flaws. One of the vulnerabilities was already being used in active attacks, but the company initially withheld all technical details. By Friday, Google quietly updated its advisory to credit the discovery to Apple’s own security engineering team alongside Google’s Threat Analysis Group, the unit that tracks state hacking operations and spyware firms. That collaboration is rare and indicates the campaign was serious enough to prompt cross-company coordination.

Hours later, Apple rolled out its own emergency updates across nearly its entire product line, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Safari. The company confirmed that two iOS vulnerabilities had been exploited in what it called an “extremely sophisticated attack against specific targeted individuals” on devices running software versions older than iOS 26. Apple typically uses that phrasing to signal real-world exploitation by advanced actors, often involving government surveillance teams or high-end spyware providers such as NSO Group or Paragon Solutions.

Zero-day attacks remain among the most dangerous threats because they take advantage of security flaws that vendors have not yet discovered or patched. These exploits are frequently used against journalists, activists, political figures and others who might be of interest to state-sponsored groups.

Neither company has disclosed who was targeted or how many users were affected, and both declined to comment on the ongoing investigation. However, the simultaneous emergency responses from Apple and Google point to a coordinated threat actor capable of breaching multiple platforms with tailored exploits.

Users are strongly urged to update their devices immediately.