Spyware targets iPhone users
Apple’s security measures are apparently no match for Pegasus
Apple often touts the security benefits of its products, but a new report from Amnesty International has highlighted an alarming vulnerability that allows hackers access to an iPhone without the user doing anything or even being aware of their presence.
According to the report, iPhones belonging to journalists and human rights lawyers have been found to contain spyware called Pegasus made by NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance company. Pegasus allows access to a device’s messages, emails, microphone and camera.
Worryingly, these attacks appeared to be successful even on fully patched and updated iPhones, and some attacks managed to inject spyware without any user interaction (like tapping an infected link). The report was partly based on a leaked database of 50,000 phone numbers, which included those of a former French environment minister and the former prime minister of Belgium, among others.
Although NSO Group says its software is only used to “investigate terrorism and crime”, the presence of its spyware on the devices of journalists and other public figures suggests this may not be true.
As always, keep your devices up to date and be sure to install security patches as soon as they are released.