Security Affairs

MARCH 19, 2025

WhatsApp fixed a zero-click, zero-day vulnerability used to install Paragon’s Graphite spyware on the devices of targeted individuals. WhatsApp has addressed a zero-click, zero-day vulnerability exploited to install Paragon’s Graphite spyware on the devices of targeted individuals.

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Security Affairs

MARCH 13, 2025

North Korea-linked APT group ScarCruft used a new Android spyware dubbed KoSpy to target Korean and English-speaking users. North Korea-linked threat actor ScarCruft (aka APT37 , Reaper, and Group123) is behind a previously undetected Android surveillance tool namedKoSpythat was used to target Korean and English-speaking users.

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Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 16, 2024

Court filing revealed that NSO Group used WhatsApp exploits after the instant messaging firm sued the surveillance company. NSO Group developed malware that relied on WhatsApp exploits to infect target individuals even after the Meta-owned instant messaging company sued the surveillance firm. ” reads a court filing.

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CyberSecurity Insiders

JULY 22, 2021

Chine Foreign Ministry has issued a public statement condemning the distribution and usage of Pegasus Spyware surveillance software by various countries. Now, to those uninitiated, Israel-based NSO Group developed Pegasus surveillance software that was meant for government organizations to spy on criminal suspects.

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Security Affairs

DECEMBER 12, 2024

Chinese law enforcement uses the mobile surveillance tool EagleMsgSpy to gather data from Android devices, as detailed by Lookout. Researchers at the Lookout Threat Lab discovered a surveillance tool, dubbed EagleMsgSpy, used by Chinese law enforcement to spy on mobile devices. ” reads the report published by Lookout.

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Security Affairs

APRIL 8, 2025

In March 2025, WhatsApp addressed a zero-click, zero-day vulnerability exploited to install Paragons Graphite spyware on the devices of targeted individuals. WhatsApp blocked a spyware campaign by Paragon targeting journalists and civil society members after reports of the Citizen Lab group from the University of Toronto.

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Schneier on Security

JUNE 23, 2021

Its spyware is also said to be equipped with a keylogger, which means every keystroke made on an infected device — including passwords, search queries and messages sent via encrypted messaging apps — can be tracked and monitored.

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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.

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Security Affairs

MARCH 2, 2024

Court ordered surveillance firm NSO Group to hand over the source code for its Pegasus spyware and other products to Meta. Meta won the litigation against the Israeli spyware vendor NSO Group , a U.S. from April 29, 2018, to May 10, 2020). from April 29, 2018, to May 10, 2020).

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The Hacker News

JUNE 7, 2024

Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed that the LightSpy spyware allegedly targeting Apple iOS users is in fact a previously undocumented macOS variant of the implant.

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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.

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Security Affairs

JUNE 17, 2022

Experts uncovered an enterprise-grade surveillance malware dubbed Hermit used to target individuals in Kazakhstan, Syria, and Italy since 2019. Lookout Threat Lab researchers uncovered enterprise-grade Android surveillance spyware, named Hermit, used by the government of Kazakhstan to track individuals within the country.

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Security Affairs

APRIL 12, 2023

At least five members of civil society worldwide have been targeted with spyware and exploits developed by surveillance firm QuaDream. Citizen Lab researchers reported that at least five civil society members were victims of spyware and exploits developed by the Israeli surveillance firm QuaDream. and 14.4.2,

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 17, 2022

The European Data Protection Supervisor authority called for a ban on the development and the use of Pegasus-like commercial spyware. The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) authority this week called for a ban on the development and the use of surveillance software like the Pegasus spyware in the EU. Pierluigi Paganini.

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Security Affairs

JANUARY 9, 2022

The US NCSC and the Department of State published joint guidance on defending against attacks using commercial surveillance tools. In the last years, we have reported several cases of companies selling commercial surveillance tools to governments and other entities that have used them for malicious purposes. Pierluigi Paganini.

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Security Affairs

DECEMBER 3, 2021

Apple warns that the mobile devices of at least nine US Department of State employees were compromised with NSO Group ‘s Pegasus spyware. The iPhones of at least nine US state department officials were compromised with the NSO Group’s spyware Pegasus. “Apple Inc iPhones of at least nine U.S.

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The Hacker News

FEBRUARY 19, 2024

operating in the surveillance-for-hire industry. The spyware targeted iOS, Android, and Windows devices. Their various malware included Meta Platforms said it took a series of steps to curtail malicious activity from eight different firms based in Italy, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)

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Security Affairs

APRIL 17, 2023

The Israeli surveillance firm QuaDream is allegedly shutting down its operations after Citizen Lab and Microsoft uncovered their spyware. Last week Citizen Lab researchers reported that at least five civil society members were victims of spyware and exploits developed by the Israeli surveillance firm QuaDream.

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Security Affairs

JANUARY 27, 2025

Usually, such kinds of vulnerabilities are exploited by nation-state actors or commercial surveillance spyware vendors in targeted attacks. As usual, the company did not share details regarding the attacks exploiting the flaw. Customers are recommended to install the security updates released by the company.

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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.

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Security Affairs

MAY 23, 2022

We assess the exploits were packaged by a single commercial surveillance company, Cytrox, and sold to different govt-backed actors. The attacks aimed at installing the surveillance spyware Predator, developed by the North Macedonian firm Cytrox. link] — Shane Huntley (@ShaneHuntley) May 19, 2022. Pierluigi Paganini.

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Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 11, 2022

Lookout researchers discovered two long-running surveillance campaigns targeting the ethnic minority Uyghurs. Researchers from mobile security firm Lookout uncovered two long-running surveillance campaigns targeting the Uyghurs minority. Bazar is a lesser known spelling of Bazaar.” ” reads the report published by Lookout.

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Security Affairs

NOVEMBER 8, 2021

A Hungarian government official confirmed that his government has bought and used the controversial NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware. According to Kosa, the use of surveillance software was authorized by a judge or the Minister of Justice. SecurityAffairs – hacking, surveillance. ” This week, the U.S. Pierluigi Paganini.

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Security Affairs

DECEMBER 22, 2024

Security Affairs Malware newsletter includes a collection of the best articles and research on malware in the international landscape.

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Security Affairs

MAY 1, 2023

Iranian authorities have been spotted using the BouldSpy Android malware to spy on minorities and traffickers. 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). continues the report.

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Security Affairs

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Apple drops its lawsuit against commercial spyware vendor NSO Group, due to the risk of “threat intelligence” information exposure. Apple is seeking to drop its lawsuit against Israeli spyware company NSO Group , citing the risk of “threat intelligence” information exposure. ” reads the court filing.

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Security Affairs

APRIL 25, 2020

The legal dispute between Facebook and NSO group continues even after the Israeli surveillance firm filed a motion to dismiss the case earlier this month. Facebook advocates have challenged a plea from spyware maker NSO Group to dismiss the legal dispute over the hacking accusations, arguing it has immunity from prosecution.

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Heimadal Security

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021

The FinFisher surveillance solution was developed by the Gamma Group but it also comes with malware-like capabilities often found in spyware strains. The post Windows Boot Manager Hijacked by FinFisher Malware appeared first on Heimdal Security Blog. Researchers Investigated […].

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Threatpost

JULY 1, 2020

Never-before-seen Android spyware tools have been used in a widespread APT campaign to spy on the Uyghur ethnic minority group - since 2013.

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Security Boulevard

SEPTEMBER 16, 2024

Apple wants its three-year-old lawsuit against spyware maker NSO to be dismissed, citing the surveillance software maker's declining dominance of the expanding market and fears that its own threat intelligence could be exposed, which would harm its efforts to protect its users.

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The Hacker News

SEPTEMBER 23, 2022

A new wave of a mobile surveillance campaign has been observed targeting the Uyghur community as part of a long-standing spyware operation active since at least 2015, cybersecurity researchers disclosed Thursday.

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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.

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Security Affairs

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

Google’s TAG revealed that Commercial spyware vendors (CSV) were behind most of the zero-day vulnerabilities discovered in 2023. Surveillance software is used to spy on high-risk users, including journalists, human rights defenders, dissidents and opposition party politicians. ” concludes Google.

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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.”

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