Latest coverage for Spyware

Cyber Advisory Cites Abuse of Linked Devices to Monitor Sensitive CommunicationsThe U.S cyber defense agency issued an alert outlining how commercial spyware and state-aligned groups are abusing messaging-app features through malicious QR-based linking and zero-click exploitation to monitor U.S. government, military and other high-profile figures.

Spyware Targets Samsung Galaxy Devices, Says Unit 42Hackers used previously unknown commercial spyware dubbed "Landfall" to surveil the activities of Samsung Galaxy device owners in the Middle East, say security researchers who posit the threat actor has connections to the United Arab Emirates.

NSO Group Blocked From WhatsApp and Must Destroy Code Used to Hack 1,400 DevicesA federal judge issued a permanent injunction barring NSO Group from using or retaining its WhatsApp spyware exploit, citing national security risks and business harm after the manufacturer's tools compromised 1,400 devices - some allegedly linked to journalists and officials.

Fake Messaging Apps Use Previously Undocumented MalwareAndroid spyware campaigns using previously undocumented spyware masquerade as upgrades or plugins for secure messaging apps Signal and ToTok, warn researchers. The two campaigns appear to target residents of the United Arab Emirates.

Also, Disney Pays $10M to Settle Child Privacy Case, Spain Scraps Huawei DealThis week, Jaguar hack, Disney settled a child privacy case, Texas sued PowerSchool and federal prosecutors sued a toy maker. Spain voided a Huawei contract, Pennsylvania AG confirmed a ransomware attack. U.S. immigration enforcement resumed a spyware contract and Baltimore lost $1.5 million to BEC.

Pakistan-Linked Threat Actor Targets Indian Linux Operation SystemPakistan-linked hackers are targeting an Indian Linux-based operating system by tricking government employees into clicking malicious files that look like PDFs. When opened, the files install spyware, giving attackers long-term access to sensitive government systems.

Inskit Researchers Uncover Clusters in Hungary, Saudi ArabiaSecurity researchers uncovered a previously unseen malware cluster associated with Israeli spyware maker Candiru. The company may have rebranded itself to evade sanctions to continue its operations. It continues to operate despite its inclusion in 2021 onto an exports blacklist by the United States.

Phishing Emails Disguise Malware as Contract FilesA Russian cybersecurity company is warning that hackers are targeting Russia's industrial sector using a previously undocumented spyware, reeling them in with contract-themed emails lures. Kaspersky dubbed the spyware "Batavia." but doesn't attribute the campaign to a threat actor.

Jury Slams NSO With $167M Verdict for WhatsApp HackMeta has secured a $167 million punitive damages verdict against Israeli spyware vendor NSO Group, with a U.S. jury finding the firm illegally used Pegasus malware to hack 1,400 WhatsApp accounts tied to diplomats, dissidents and journalists using encrypted messaging platforms.

Also: France Temporarily Lifts Pavel Durov's Travel Ban Amid Telegram ProbeThis week, Paragon Solutions spread through WhatsApp, France suspended Pavel Durov's travel ban, Vapor malware hit 60M Android users, state-backed hackers exploit a Windows flaw, Western Alliance Bank exposed customers data, Apple fixed a passwords bug, and a sperm bank exposed customer information.

Use Other Than for Police Purposes Can Invoke Fine Up to 20 Million EurosThe Italian privacy regulator warned against unlawful uses of Graphite spyware following reports of mass hacking campaigns using the tool. The Italian Data Protection Authority published a warning targeting commercial spyware developed by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions.

Also, US Court Rules NSO Group Violated Hacking Laws With Pegasus SpywareThis week, cyberattack disrupts Japan Airlines, U.S. court rules NSO Group violated hacking laws, the European Space Agency’s web store hacked, FTC orders Marriott to overhaul data security, Sophos patches critical firewall flaws and Apache fixes critical SQL injection in Traffic Control.

Secret Blizzard Used Third-party Amadey Bots to Hack Ukrainian Military DevicesA Russian state-backed hacker group used third-party data-stealing bots and possibly a backdoor used by another Russia-based threat group to infiltrate and spy on devices used by frontline Ukrainian military units, according to a report from the Microsoft threat intelligence team.

Possible Chinese-state sponsored Exploit Kit Using Browser Flaws to Deploy SpywareA possible Chinese-state threat group is targeting vulnerabilities in messaging apps to deliver spyware in cross-platform devices used by members of ethnic minorities targeted for repression by Beijing. Trend Micro dubs the group "Earth Minotaur."

Russian Activist for Ukraine Claims Spyware Was Installed While in Custody by FSBA Russian activist says security forces covertly installed spyware on his cellphone while he was detained in Moscow for aiding Ukraine. A report published Thursday shows the spyware received a broad range of permissions, from tracking location to reading encrypted messages.

Also: CrowdStrike Grilled by Congress; Coalition Against Spyware Abuse Is GrowingIn the latest weekly update, ISMG editors discussed Microsoft's major cybersecurity overhaul in the wake of some high-profile breaches, the latest developments from CrowdStrike's global outage hearing and the expanding U.S.-led coalition against spyware abuse in the EU.

Austria, Estonia, Lithuania and the Netherlands Join the Coalition Formed in MarchFour more European Union nations have joined a United States government-led initiative lanched in March to tackle spyware misuse globally. The move came amid growing criticisms of the European Commission's failure to curb the EU's prolific spyware market.

iPhone Maker Seeks Voluntary Dismissal, Citing Concerns Over Sensitive Data LeakingApple has filed a motion to dismiss its lawsuit against NSO Group, citing concerns over the potential exposure of sensitive threat intelligence information. The tech giant believes continuing the lawsuit could compromise its ability to protect users and lead to the disclosure of sensitive data.

Intellexa Poised for a Comeback, Warn ResearchersThe U.S. Department of the Treasury ramped up pressure on makers and sellers of Predator commercial spyware through sanctions on five individuals and a Caribbean company accused of enabling tens of millions of dollars of surveillance malware transactions.

Also: Hospitals Spend More on Cybersecurity; Critical Flaw in WordPressThis week, a cloud server error revealed sanction busting, Moody's said hospital cybersecurity spending is up, the U.S. restricted visas for commercial spyware operators, a ransomware attack hit a lab in Italy, hackers exploited a WordPress flaw, and Argentinian data is for sale on a criminal forum.