Mexican Drug Cartels with High-Tech Spyware
Schneier on Security
DECEMBER 17, 2020
Lots of details in the article. The cyberweapons arms business is immoral in many ways. This is just one of them.
Software Spyware Surveillance 
U.S. Court rules against NSO Group in WhatsApp spyware Lawsuit
Security Affairs
DECEMBER 23, 2024
court ruled in favor of WhatsApp against NSO Group, holding the spyware vendor liable for exploiting a flaw to deliver Pegasus spyware. court over exploiting a vulnerability to deliver Pegasus spyware. WhatsApp won a legal case against NSO Group in a U.S. ” reads the court document. ” The U.S.
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Meta Scores $168M Legal Victory Over NSO Group for Spyware Abuse
SecureWorld News
MAY 13, 2025
million judgment against NSO Group, the Israeli company behind the Pegasus spyware. company has successfully held a commercial spyware vendor accountable in a court of law, Reuters reports. Spyware at scale: inside the surveillance-as-a-service business model The trial unearthed a rare look into NSO's operations.
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Poland probes Pegasus spyware abuse under the PiS government
Security Affairs
DECEMBER 3, 2024
Poland probes Pegasus spyware abuse under the PiS government; ex-security chief Piotr Pogonowski arrested to testify before parliament. Poland’s government has been investigating the alleged misuse of Pegasus spyware by the previous administration and arrested the former head of Poland’s internal security service Piotr Pogonowski.
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Report claims that Serbian authorities abused Cellebrite tool to install NoviSpy spyware
Security Affairs
DECEMBER 16, 2024
Researchers warn of previously undetected surveillance spyware, named NoviSpy, that was found infecting a Serbian journalist’s phone. Then he requested help from Amnesty Internationals Security Lab fearing to be the target of surveillance software like other journalists in Serbia.
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WhatsApp disrupted a hacking campaign targeting journalists with Paragon spyware
Security Affairs
FEBRUARY 2, 2025
Meta announced the disruption of a malware campaign via WhatsApp that targeted journalists with the Paragon spyware. Meta announced that discovered and dismantled a malware campaign via WhatsApp that targeted journalists and civil society members with the Paragon spyware (aka Graphite). In 2024, its U.S.
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Russia’s FSB used spyware against a Russian programmer
Security Affairs
DECEMBER 7, 2024
Russia’s FSB used spyware against a Russian programmer after detaining him for allegedly donating to Ukraine earlier this year. The Federal Security Service (FSB) used spyware to monitor a Russian programmer, Kirill Parubets, after he was detained earlier this year for allegedly donating to Ukraine. ” continues the report.
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WhatsApp hack: Meta wins payout over NSO Group spyware
Malwarebytes
MAY 8, 2025
Meta has won almost $170m in damages from Israel-based NSO Group, maker of the Pegasus spyware. According to the original complaint against NSO Group, filed in October 2019, the spyware vendor used WhatsApp servers to send malware to around 1400 mobile phones. Never open links, files, or videos from someone you don’t know.
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Paragon: Yet Another Cyberweapons Arms Manufacturer
Schneier on Security
AUGUST 3, 2021
Forbes has the story : Paragon’s product will also likely get spyware critics and surveillance experts alike rubbernecking: It claims to give police the power to remotely break into encrypted instant messaging communications, whether that’s WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger or Gmail, the industry sources said.
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On the Zero-Day Market
Schneier on Security
MAY 24, 2024
New paper: “ Zero Progress on Zero Days: How the Last Ten Years Created the Modern Spyware Market “: Abstract: Spyware makes surveillance simple. The last ten years have also been marked by stark failures to control spyware and its precursors and components.
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Targeted spyware and why it’s a concern to us
Malwarebytes
MARCH 20, 2025
Experts are again warning about the proliferating market for targeted spyware and espionage. Before we dive into the world of targeted spyware, it’s worth looking at a few of the main players that are active in and against this industry. The name of Paragons spyware is Graphite.
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China officially condemns Pegasus spyware surveillance and accuses US
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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North Korea-linked APT group ScarCruft spotted using new Android spyware KoSpy
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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Experts discovered surveillance tool EagleMsgSpy used by Chinese law enforcement
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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NSO Group used WhatsApp exploits even after Meta-owned company sued it
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. from April 29, 2018, to May 10, 2020).
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WhatsApp fixed a spoofing flaw that could enable Remote Code Execution
Security Affairs
APRIL 8, 2025
Security flaws in the platform have previously been leveraged in real incidents, allowing attackers to infiltrate systems, harvest confidential details, or deploy harmful software. In March 2025, WhatsApp addressed a zero-click, zero-day vulnerability exploited to install Paragons Graphite spyware on the devices of targeted individuals.
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Apple Calls Out 'Mercenary Spyware' Vendors Enabling State Surveillance
SecureWorld News
APRIL 15, 2024
Apple has escalated its fight against the commercial spyware industry enabling state actors to conduct highly-targeted cyberattacks against journalists, activists, politicians, and other high-risk individuals around the world. The developers go to great lengths to remove any clues that might link the software back to them or their clients."
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U.S. Judge ordered NSO Group to hand over the Pegasus spyware code to WhatsApp
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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NSO Group spyware used to compromise iPhones of 9 US State Dept officials
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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Google updates policies to ban any ads for surveillance solutions and services
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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EU officials were targeted with Israeli surveillance software
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.
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European Data Protection Supervisor call for bans on surveillance spyware like Pegasus
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.
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Pegasus Project – how governments use Pegasus spyware against journalists
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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Experts link Hermit spyware to Italian surveillance firm RCS Lab and a front company
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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German authorities raid the offices of the FinFisher surveillance firm
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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Greek intelligence service used surveillance malware to spy on a journalist, Reuters reports
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.
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Apple dismisses lawsuit against surveillance firm NSO Group due to risk of threat intelligence exposure
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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Apple Seeks to Drop Its Lawsuit Against Spyware Maker NSO
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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Zero-day vulnerabilities in Chrome and Android exploited by commercial spyware
Malwarebytes
MAY 24, 2022
The Google Threat Analysis Group (TAG) has revealed that of the nine zero-day vulnerabilities affecting Chrome, Android, Apple and Microsoft that it reported in 2021, five were in use by a single commercial surveillance company. Government spyware. Did I hear someone say Pegasus ? An educated guess, but wrong in this case.
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Hungarian official confirms Hungary used NSO Group Pegasus spyware
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.
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US NCSC and DoS share best practices against surveillance tools
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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Commercial spyware vendors are behind most zero-day exploits discovered by Google TAG
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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Sophisticated Android spyware PhoneSpy infected thousands of Korean phones
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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The iPhone of a Russian journalist was infected with the Pegasus spyware
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.
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Predator Files: A Scathing Indictment of EU Surveillance Regulation
SecureWorld News
NOVEMBER 21, 2023
In a groundbreaking investigative report, the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) media network, with technical assistance from Amnesty International's Security Lab, has exposed the shocking extent of the global surveillance crisis and the glaring inadequacies of EU regulation in curbing it. Chairman, Cedric Leighton Associates, LLC.
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Facebook vs NSO Group lawsuit: 1,400+ users were targeted with Pegasus spyware
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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NSO CEO claims Facebook wanted NSO surveillance tool to spy on users
Security Affairs
APRIL 8, 2020
A new shocking revelation comes from the disputed from NSO Group and Facebook, NSO CEO claims Facebook tried to buy an Apple spying software in 2017. In October 2019, WhatsApp sued the Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group accusing it of carrying out malicious attacks against its users. Pierluigi Paganini.
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Long-running surveillance campaigns target Uyghurs with BadBazaar and MOONSHINE spyware
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. List of installed packages. Call logs and geocoded location associated with the call.
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Amnesty International filed a lawsuit against Israeli surveillance firm NSO
Security Affairs
MAY 20, 2019
Amnesty International filed a lawsuit against Israeli surveillance firm NSO and fears its staff may be targeted by the company with its Pegasus spyware. The name NSO Group made the headlines last week after the disclosure of the WhatsApp flaw exploited by the company to remotely install its surveillance software.
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WhatsApp zero-day exploited in targeted attacks to deliver NSO spyware
Security Affairs
MAY 14, 2019
Facebook fixed a critical zero-day flaw in WhatsApp that has been exploited to remotely install spyware on phones by calling the targeted device. Facebook has recently 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.
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Adobe, Apple, Google & Microsoft Patch 0-Day Bugs
Krebs on Security
SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
Microsoft today issued software updates to fix at least five dozen security holes in Windows and supported software, including patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities that are already being exploited. Citizen Lab says the bug it discovered was being exploited to install spyware made by the Israeli cyber surveillance company NSO Group.
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A consumer-grade spyware app found in check-in systems of 3 US hotels
Security Affairs
MAY 22, 2024
A researcher discovered a consumer-grade spyware app on the check-in systems of at least three Wyndham hotels across the US. The security researcher Eric Daigle discovered a commercial spyware app, called pcTattletale, on the check-in systems of at least three Wyndham hotels across the US, TechCrunch first reported.
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Snowden speaks about the role of surveillance firm NSO Group in Khashoggi murder
Security Affairs
NOVEMBER 9, 2018
Snowden warns of abuse of surveillance software that also had a role in the murder of the Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Snowden claimed that Israeli company NSO Group had sold Saudi Arabia software that was used to compromise the smartphone of one of Khashoggi’s friends. COUNTRY NEXUS. 1 (Source: Citizen Lab ).
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Zero-day attacks on browsers and smartphones drop, says Google
Malwarebytes
MAY 1, 2025
Government-backed groups and customers of commercial surveillance vendors (that’s sanitized corporate-speak for spyware) were responsible for over half the attacks that the researchers were able to attribute. Spyware continues to be a much bigger factor in zero-day exploits today than it was before 2023.
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