Media report governments’ use of spyware to monitor journalists

Pegasus, the spyware from Israeli firm NSO Group, was used to track human rights defenders, journalists and politicians around the world by hacking iPhone and Android devices. Several media outlets reported this as a result of a joint investigation.

The Guardian reports that the malicious Pegasus infects devices and provides access to messages, photographs, emails, and also allows recording calls, activating the microphone and tracking location.

Amnesty International noted that the malware can penetrate devices even without any action by the user, such as opening a malicious link. Experts believe that when hacking an iPhone Pegasus exploits iMessage-related vulnerabilities.

The Washington Post notes that Android devices do not collect information that Amnesty International analysts could use to analyse the breach.

Journalists uncovered a database of more than 50,000 phone numbers believed to belong to “people of interest” to NSO Group’s clients.

The list includes numbers of heads of companies, public, religious and political figures, including presidents and prime ministers. It also includes more than a hundred journalists from various outlets. Researchers were able to identify over 1,000 people from over 50 countries.

According to the investigation, NSO Group’s clients include at least ten governments — Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Mexico, Bahrain, Morocco, Rwanda, India, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Representatives of the aforementioned states, at the time of publication, either denied using Pegasus or declined to comment.

Having a number in the database does not necessarily indicate a device was hacked, but it points to potential Pegasus targets, the authors note. As part of the study, experts confirmed hacking or attempts to gain access to 37 journalists’ devices using Pegasus.

A former National Security Agency and CIA employee, Edward Snowden, called the published information “the story of the year”:

Stop what you’re doing and read this. This leak is going to be the story of the year: (LINK: https://t.co/zhC0LN4TlC) pic.twitter.com/doo4HDDzxt

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) July 18, 2021

NSO Group denies misusing its software and says it closely monitors human rights compliance.

The company also stressed that Pegasus is used solely for “terrorism and crime investigations.” NSO Group provides services only to the military, law enforcement and intelligence agencies in 40 unnamed countries.

However, the findings indicate that Pegasus is used not only to track criminals.

Journalists named in the list faced threats, were arrested or forced to leave the country due to persecution, some were killed.

13. in #Mexico 🇲🇽 Journalist Cecilio Pineda Birto was getting death threats for reporting on official collusion with a cartel capo…

…then his number showed up on the #PegasusProject list.

Then he was assassinated. https://t.co/AB49bJZ12z pic.twitter.com/LKRCJSutCk

— John Scott-Railton (@jsrailton) July 18, 2021

“This investigation shows that the technology has become a key instrument in the hands of repressive state actors and the security services working for them,” note Forbidden Stories.

Journalists say they will publish a series of pieces about those spied on with Pegasus in the near future.

Earlier, ForkLog reported on the American company Palantir Technologies, whose technology allows security services to track citizens.

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