A vulnerability in the popular communications app Whatsapp infected smartphones with sophisticated spyware with a missed in-app call alone.
The Facebook-owned subsidiary says “an advanced cyber actor” infected an unknown number of people with the malware. A WhatsApp spokesman anonymously said an amount in the dozens at least would not be inaccurate.
Communication App Company said the attack had all the hallmarks of a private company known to work with governments to infect phones.
On Monday, The Financial Times identified the company as Israel’s NSO Group. The company uses its flagship software, Pegasus against rights activists. Pegasus collects intimate data from a target device including capturing data through the microphone, camera and gathering location data. Noticeably, Whatsapp discovered the attack earlier this month.
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However, the NSO group said, “NSO’s technology is licensed to authorised government agencies for the sole purpose of fighting crime and terror.”
Further, it added, “The company does not operate the system, and after a rigorous licensing and vetting process, intelligence and law enforcement determine how to use the technology to support their public safety missions. We investigate any credible allegations of misuse and if necessary, we take action, including shutting down the system.”
WhatsApp said it contacted human rights groups. Also, it quickly fixed the issue and pushed out a patch. Additionally, Facebook Acquired Whatsapp urged all of its 1.5bn users to update their apps as an added precaution.
On Tuesday, a Tel Aviv court will hear a petition led by Amnesty International. It calls for Israel’s Ministry of Defence to revoke the NSO Group’s licence to export its products.
