Exploit was via Apple's own iMessage app, as a non-clickable received message.

This installed a whole surveillance platform 'Triangulation' on the phone.

This exploit has been in the wild at least since 2019, so it's a long game.

Leads point to NSA.

You can check whether your iPhone is infected (up to some version of Triangulation , at any rate) by using the free python script from Kaspersky to check your iOS back up file (the only way to forensically analyze the contents of your iPhone for mere mortals):

https://github.com/KasperskyLab/triangle_check

Exploit was via Apple's own iMessage app, as a non-clickable received message.

This installed a whole surveillance platform 'Triangulation' on the phone.

You can check whether your iPhone is infected (up to some version of Triangulation , at any rate) by using the free python script from Kaspersky to check your iOS back up file (the only way to forensically analyze the contents of your iPhone for mere mortals):

https://github.com/KasperskyLab/triangle_check