Wildberger confirms ARD report on hacker attack

Government and MPs affected Wildberger confirms ARD information about hacker attack As of: November 1st, 2026 • 8:59 p.m

According to information from ARD, there may have been a hacker attack on members of the Bundestag and members of the federal government. In the report from Berlin, Digital Minister Wildberger confirmed the use of spyware. He didn't give any details.

Federal Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) has confirmed information from the ARD capital studio that there was a hacker attack on the mobile devices of members of the Bundestag and government.

In the report from Berlin, the CDU politician spoke of information received from the US technology company Apple that "certain devices may have been compromised with so-called spyware." The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) reacted quickly and informed everyone affected in writing, said Wildberger.

It is currently not publicly known which politicians could be affected.

Karsten Wildberger, Digital Minister/CDU, on the possible hacker attack Report from Berlin, Das Erste, November 1st, 2026 • 6:30 p.m. Apple sent message about attack with spyware The letter from the BSI is available to the ARD capital studio. According to this, iPhones have received a threat notification from Apple since October 29th, according to which an attack with so-called Mercenary Spyware had been detected. The spyware aims to compromise the iPhone. “We currently have no further information about the specific reason or the background to the notifications,” writes the BSI.

Apple describes its threat notifications as very reliable warnings that a person has been targeted. The notification does not indicate whether the attack was successful. The BSI recommended that those affected “assume as a precaution that the device may be compromised.”

According to Apple's own statements, it generally does not disclose what triggered a notification and does not assign attacks to specific attackers. In the report from Berlin, Digital Minister Wildberger did not provide any further information. At the same time, he expressed concern about the reports.

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Spyware are spying programs that send data to third parties without the user's knowledge or consent. The best-known example is Pegasus from NSO Group. Such programs can install themselves independently without the user having to do anything.

According to the BSI, attackers could access messages, including encrypted messengers, calls, contacts, calendars and locations. The microphone and camera could also be switched on.

This topic in the program: The First | Report from Berlin | 11/01/2026 | 6 p.m. Das Erste | daily news | 11/01/2026 | 8 p.m