Security Affairs

MAY 29, 2023

Cisco Talos and the Citizen Lab researchers have published a technical analysis of the powerful Android spyware Predator. Security researchers at Cisco Talos and the Citizen Lab have shared technical details about a commercial Android spyware named Predator that is sold by the surveillance firm Intellexa (formerly known as Cytrox).

Spyware 93

Spyware Surveillance Media Malware 93

Security Affairs

MARCH 3, 2023

The phone of an opposition-linked Polish mayor was infected with the powerful Pegasus spyware, local media reported. Reuters reported that the phone of an opposition-linked Polish mayor was infected with the Pegasus spyware. According to rumors, the Polish special services are using surveillance software to spy on government opponents.

Spyware 93

Spyware Surveillance Hacking Government 93

Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

The iPhone of a prominent Russian journalist, who is at odds with Moscow, was infected with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The iPhone of the Russian journalist Galina Timchenko was compromised with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. The threat actors used a zero-click exploit, likely the PWNYOURHOME. ” reported Citizen Lab.

Spyware 92

Spyware Surveillance Media Government 92

Security Affairs

JANUARY 17, 2024

Researchers devised a “lightweight method,” called iShutdown, to determine whether Apple iOS devices have been infected with spyware. Cybersecurity researchers from Kaspersky have identified a “lightweight method,” called iShutdown, to identify the presence of spyware on Apple iOS devices.

Spyware 123

Spyware Mobile Malware Surveillance 123

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) linked three exploitation frameworks to a Spanish surveillance spyware vendor named Variston. While tracking the activities of commercial spyware vendors, Threat Analysis Group (TAG) spotted an exploitation framework likely linked Variston IT, a Spanish firm. ” TAG concludes.

Spyware 101

Spyware Surveillance Risk Internet 101

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

One of the Apple iOS zero-day flaws exploited by the NSO group was also used by another surveillance firm named QuaDream. One of the vulnerabilities in Apple iOS that was previously exploited by the spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group was also separately used by another surveillance firm named QuaDream.

Surveillance 96

Surveillance Spyware Government Hacking 96

Security Affairs

JULY 19, 2021

Pegasus Project investigation into the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets revealed the abuse of NSO Group’s spyware. Pegasus Project is the name of a large-scale investigation into the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets that revealed the abuse of NSO Group’s spyware.

Spyware 114

Spyware Government Surveillance Media 114

Security Affairs

JULY 9, 2023

According to the French newspaper Le Monde, law enforcement will be allowed to use spyware for their investigation, the software can remotely spy on the suspects using the microphone and camera of the devices and also collect their GPS location. ”” reads the article published by Le Monde.

Surveillance 91

Surveillance Government Spyware IoT 91

Security Affairs

AUGUST 6, 2022

Greek intelligence admitted it had spied on a journalist, while citizens ask the government to reveal the use of surveillance malware. The head of the Greek intelligence told a parliamentary committee that they had spied on a journalist with surveillance malware , Reuters reported citing two sources present. ” reported Reuters.

Surveillance 104

Surveillance Malware Spyware Government 104

Security Affairs

MAY 1, 2023

Researchers at the Lookout Threat Lab have discovered a new Android surveillance spyware, dubbed BouldSpy, that was used by the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA). However, much of the victim data points to its broader usage, which indicates targeted surveillance efforts towards minorities within Iran.”

Surveillance 82

Surveillance Malware Spyware Education 82

Security Affairs

JULY 20, 2023

China-linked group APT41 was spotted using two previously undocumented Android spyware called WyrmSpy and DragonEgg China-linked APT group APT41 has been observed using two previously undocumented Android spyware called WyrmSpy and DragonEgg. Upon installing the two spyware, they request extensive device permissions.

Spyware 86

Spyware Surveillance Mobile Malware 86

Security Affairs

AUGUST 28, 2022

Leaked documents show the surveillance firm Intellexa offering exploits for iOS and Android devices for $8 Million. Intellexa is an Israeli surveillance firm founded by Israeli entrepreneur Tal Dilian, it offers surveillance and hacking solution to law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 128

Surveillance Spyware Mobile Hacking 128

Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 22, 2023

Citizen Lab and Google’s TAG revealed that the three recently patched Apple zero-days were used to install Cytrox Predator spyware. Apple this week released emergency security updates to address three new zero-day vulnerabilities (CVE-2023-41993, CVE-2023-41991, CVE-2023-41992) that have been exploited in attacks in the wild.

Spyware 106

Spyware Surveillance Mobile Hacking 106

Security Affairs

APRIL 13, 2022

According to a report published by Reuters, an Israeli surveillance software was used to spy on senior officials in the European Commission. One of the officials targeted with the infamous spyware there is Didier Reynders, a senior Belgian statesman who has served as the European Justice Commissioner since 2019. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 95

Surveillance Software Spyware Hacking 95

Security Affairs

JUNE 7, 2023

June 2023 security update for Android released by Google fixes about fifty flaws, including an Arm Mali GPU bug exploited by surveillance firms in their spyware. The June 2023 Android Security Bulletin provides details about the fix for more than fifty vulnerabilities affecting Android devices. In early April, U.S.

Spyware 88

Spyware Surveillance Firmware Hacking 88

Security Affairs

AUGUST 2, 2022

Austria is investigating a report that an Austrian firm DSIRF developed spyware targeting law firms, banks and consultancies. The group targets entities in Europe and Central America with a surveillance tool dubbed Subzero. “Of course, DSN (the National Security and Intelligence Directorate) checks the allegations.

Spyware 90

Spyware Surveillance Banking Hacking 90

Security Affairs

JUNE 24, 2022

Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) revealed that the Italian spyware vendor RCS Labs was supported by ISPs to spy on users. TAG researchers tracked more than 30 vendors selling exploits or surveillance capabilities to nation-state actors. Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 112

Surveillance Mobile Spyware Telecommunications 112

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 10, 2021

South Korean users have been targeted with a new sophisticated Android spyware, tracked as PhoneSpy, as part of an ongoing campaign. Researchers from Zimperium zLabs uncovered an ongoing campaign aimed at infecting the mobile phones of South Korean users with new sophisticated android spyware dubbed PhoneSpy. Zimperium concludes.

Spyware 140

Spyware Mobile Social Engineering Surveillance 140

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

Google Project Zero researchers reported that a surveillance vendor is using three Samsung phone zero-day exploits. Google Project Zero disclosed three Samsung phone vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2021-25337, CVE-2021-25369 and CVE-2021-25370, that have been exploited by a surveillance company. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 105

Surveillance Spyware Mobile Manufacturing 105

Security Affairs

APRIL 19, 2022

Researchers from Citizen Lab have published a report detailing the use of a new zero-click iMessage exploit, dubbed HOMAGE, to install the NSO Group Pegasus spyware on iPhones belonging to Catalan politicians, journalists, academics, and activists. To nominate, please visit:? Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook.

Spyware 95

Spyware Surveillance Government Software 95

Security Affairs

OCTOBER 14, 2020

Earlier this month, German authorities have raided the offices of FinFisher, the German surveillance software firm, accused of providing its software to oppressive regimes. The post German authorities raid the offices of the FinFisher surveillance firm appeared first on Security Affairs. Pierluigi Paganini.

Surveillance 111

Surveillance Spyware Software Advertising 111

Security Affairs

OCTOBER 11, 2021

A Togolese human rights advocate was hit by mobile spyware that has been allegedly developed by an Indian firm called Innefu Labs. Experts believe the attackers used a spyware developed by an Indian company called Innefu Labs. In the past, the Donot Team spyware was found in attacks outside of South Asia.

Spyware 87

Spyware Surveillance Accountability Mobile 87

Security Affairs

AUGUST 24, 2021

Citizen Lab uncovered a new zero-click iMessage exploit that was used to deploy the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware on devices belonging to Bahraini activists. Researchers from Citizen Lab spotted a zero-click iMessage exploit that was used to deploy NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware on Bahraini activists’ devices.

Spyware 98

Spyware Surveillance Hacking Mobile 98

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Apple has filed suit to ban the Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group and parent company Q Cyber Technologies from using its product and services. federal court for illegally targeting its customers with the surveillance spyware Pegasus. Apple has sued NSO Group and its parent company Q Cyber Technologies in a U.S.

Spyware 89

Spyware Surveillance Software Hacking 89

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 10, 2022

I transcribed a recent interview, here some questions and answers about nation-state hacking, spyware, and cyber warfare. Enjoy” How has spyware changed the rules of cyber security in recent years? What will cyber security look like now that those tools are all over the internet? Anyway, it is not the only one.

Spyware 92

Spyware Hacking Ransomware Surveillance 92

Security Affairs

JULY 12, 2020

Google announced that starting from August it will update its policies to reject ads proposed by organizations offering surveillance software. The move aims at fighting the advertising of any form of surveillance. Google wants to halt the use of ads for technology that could allow monitoring a person’s online activity (i.e.

Surveillance 107

Surveillance Spyware Advertising Marketing 107

Security Affairs

JANUARY 28, 2022

Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs revealed that devices of Finnish diplomats have been infected with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs revealed that the devices of some Finnish diplomats have been compromised with the infamous NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. Pierluigi Paganini.

Spyware 87

Spyware Surveillance Mobile Risk 87

Security Affairs

MARCH 29, 2023

Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) discovered several exploit chains targeting Android, iOS, and Chrome to install commercial spyware. The exploit chains were used to install commercial spyware and malicious apps on targets’ devices. The experts pointed out that both campaigns were limited and highly targeted.

Spyware 89

Spyware Surveillance Firmware Internet 89

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 11, 2021

Lookout researchers provided details about two Android spyware families employed by an APT group tracked as Confucius. Researchers at mobile security firm Lookout have provided details about two recently discovered Android spyware families, dubbed Hornbill and SunBird, used by an APT group named Confucius. Pierluigi Paganini.

Spyware 111

Spyware Surveillance Malware Mobile 111

Security Affairs

MARCH 27, 2021

Researchers spotted a sophisticated Android spyware that implements exfiltration capabilities and surveillance features, including recording audio and phone calls. Experts from security firm Zimperium have spotted a new sophisticated Android spyware that masquerades itself as a System Update application.

Spyware 104

Spyware Malware Surveillance Mobile 104

Security Affairs

DECEMBER 16, 2020

Security experts spotted a new malware strain, named Goontact, that allows its operators to spy on both Android and iOS users. Security researchers from Lookout have discovered new spyware, dubbed Goontcat, that could target both Android and iOS users. The spyware is likely used as part of a sextortion campaign.

Spyware 112

Spyware Mobile Surveillance Malware 112

Security Affairs

APRIL 8, 2020

In October 2019, WhatsApp sued the Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group accusing it of carrying out malicious attacks against its users. In May, Facebook has patched a critical zero-day vulnerability in WhatsApp, tracked as CVE-2019-3568 , that has been exploited to remotely install spyware on phones by calling the targeted device.

Surveillance 100

Surveillance Spyware Advertising Government 100

Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 26, 2021

A threat actor, tracked as APT C-23, is using new powerful Android spyware in attacks aimed at targets in the Middle East. The APT C-23 cyberespionage group (also known as GnatSpy, FrozenCell, or VAMP) continues to target entities in the Middle East with enhanced Android spyware masqueraded as seemingly harmless app updates (i.e.

Spyware 96

Spyware Social Engineering Surveillance Engineering 96

Security Affairs

JUNE 22, 2020

Researchers at Amnesty International collected evidence that a Moroccan journalist was targeted with network injection attacks using NSO Group ‘s spyware. “Through our investigation we were able to confirm that his phone was targeted and put under surveillance during the same period he was prosecuted.”

Spyware 115

Spyware Surveillance Mobile Advertising 115

Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 24, 2021

The threat actors used by spyware to take over the target systems, spy on the victims, and exfiltrate data. “This unlawful surveillance violates the right to privacy and stifles freedom of expression.” The link points to files containing spyware that could infect both Mac OS or Windows systems. Pierluigi Paganini.

Spyware 87

Spyware Surveillance Government Phishing 87

Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 27, 2020

Experts from Amnesty International uncovered a surveillance campaign that targeted Egyptian civil society organizations with a new version of FinSpy spyware. The binaries are obfuscated and do some checks to detect if the spyware is running in a Virtual Machine. ” reads the Amnesty’s report.

Spyware 137

Spyware Surveillance Mobile Advertising 137

Security Affairs

JULY 25, 2019

Researchers at Lookout discovered a new mobile spyware dubbed Monokle that was developed by a Russian defense contractor. Experts at Lookout discovered a new Android mobile spyware in the wild, dubbed Monokle, that was developed by a Russian defense contractor named Special Technology Centre Ltd. ( Pierluigi Paganini.

Spyware 72

Spyware Surveillance Mobile Advertising 72