Israeli ‘Pegasus’ Spyware Used to Hack Phones of 11 US Diplomats - Reports

© AFP 2023 / JOEL SAGETThis studio photographic illustration shows a smartphone with the website of Israel's NSO Group which features 'Pegasus' spyware, on display in Paris on July 21, 2021. - Private Israeli firm NSO Group has denied media reports its Pegasus software is linked to the mass surveillance of journalists and rights defenders, and insisted that all sales of its technology are approved by Israel's defence ministry
This studio photographic illustration shows a smartphone with the website of Israel's NSO Group which features 'Pegasus' spyware, on display in Paris on July 21, 2021. - Private Israeli firm NSO Group has denied media reports its Pegasus software is linked to the mass surveillance of journalists and rights defenders, and insisted that all sales of its technology are approved by Israel's defence ministry - Sputnik International, 1920, 04.12.2021
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The Pegasus spyware developed by Israeli company NSO Group was used to hack the iPhones of 11 US diplomats in recent months, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing alerts from Apple to the impacted individuals.
The recent attacks were focused on US officials working in East Africa, the report said. The Pegasus spyware gives government clients the ability to steal files, listen to conversations and track the movements of the infected device, the report added.
While some of the targeted individuals included foreign service officers for the US State Departments, others included locals who worked for embassies. A source familiar with the development told the Wall Street Journal that the hacked phones had been linked to email addresses from the US State Department.
The White House National Security Council in a statement Friday said the US is acutely concerned that NSO Group’s software poses a serious counterintelligence and security risk to American personnel, which is why the administration placed several companies involved in the development and proliferation of these tools on the Commerce Department's entity list.
Israeli cyber firm NSO Group's exhibition stand is seen at ISDEF 2019, an international defence and homeland security expo, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 4, 2019. Picture taken June 4, 2019. - Sputnik International, 1920, 23.11.2021
Apple Launches Lawsuit Against Israeli NSO Group Over Pegasus Surveillance
In November, the US Department of Commerce included the NSO Group in its list of entities engaging in activities contrary to US national security. The group’s Pegasus spyware has purportedly been used to spy on the phones of about 50,000 targets, including politicians, businessmen, activists, journalists and opposition figures around the world.
Apple later in November launched a lawsuit against NSO Group for the surveillance and targeting of the company’s customers. They are also seeking a permanent injunction to ban NSO Group from using any Apple software, services, or devices.
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