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Apple Calls Out 'Mercenary Spyware' Vendors Enabling State Surveillance

SecureWorld News

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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CISA Issues Alert to Secure iPhones Against Pegasus Spyware Zero-Days

SecureWorld News

Alarming details have emerged about the exploitation of two Zero-Day vulnerabilities to deploy NSO Group's Pegasus commercial spyware on iPhones. These vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2023-41064 and CVE-2023-41061 , were actively abused as part of a zero-click exploit chain, according to security researchers at The Citizen Lab.

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Security researchers detail Hermit spyware on Android and iOS

TechSpot

A report from Google's Threat Analysis Team describes how Italian company RCS Labs distributes its Hermit spyware on behalf of clients which include national governments. It aligns with Lookout Threat Lab's report from earlier this month.

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Apple Unveils 'Lockdown Mode' to Defend Against Spyware

SecureWorld News

Apple announced plans to launch a new security feature called "Lockdown Mode" that will be available this fall when Apple releases its annual iOS update. Apple also established a new category in its Apple Security Bounty program that will reward those who find security flaws in Lockdown Mode. Apple and NSO Group have a history.

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New analysis further links Pegasus spyware to Jamal Khashoggi murder

The Verge

New forensic analysis indicates that representatives of the United Arab Emirates government installed Pegasus spyware on the phone of Hanan Elatr, wife of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, just months before her husband was killed. This took place after security agents at the Dubai airport had confiscated the phone from Elatr.

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Microsoft and Google join Facebook’s legal fight against infamous spyware vendor

The Verge

Facebook-owned WhatsApp sued the spyware vendor last year, alleging that its software was used to hack 1,400 devices via a vulnerability in the messaging service. In response to Facebook’s lawsuit last year, NSO Group has argued it should benefit from “sovereign immunity,” Reuters reports , because it sells its tools to foreign governments.

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The FBI reportedly confirms it tested NSO’s spyware

The Verge

The FBI has confirmed to The Washington Post that the agency had a license to use NSO’s Pegasus spyware and that it tested out the software’s capabilities. The company was blacklisted by the US government , severely limiting how it can do business with tech companies based in the States. Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge.

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