The 5 most powerful smartphones on the market today 0:46
(CNN Business) -
Apple updated its software for iPhones to fix a critical vulnerability that independent researchers say has been exploited by well-known surveillance software to spy on a Saudi activist.
Researchers at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab said the software exploit has been in use since February and has been used to deploy Pegasus, spyware made by Israeli firm NSO Group that has allegedly been used to monitor journalists. and human rights defenders in multiple countries.
They spied with Pegasus at least 15,000 numbers from Mexico 2:40
Apple's urgent update released Monday fixes a flaw in iMessage software that allowed hackers to infiltrate a user's phone without the user clicking on any links, according to Citizen Lab. The Saudi activist preferred to remain anonymous, Citizen Lab said.
Apple credited Citizen Lab researchers with finding the vulnerability, but an Apple spokesperson declined to comment further.
NSO Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the investigation.
The company mentioned that its software is only sold to authorized clients for anti-terrorism and law enforcement purposes.
The Washington Post: Investigation Finds Israel-Designed Pegasus Spyware Used To Hack Journalists And Activists Around The World
However, researchers say they have found multiple cases where spyware was used on the devices of dissident or journalists.
In 2019, Citizen Lab analysts alleged that Pegasus was used on the mobile phone of the wife of a Mexican journalist who was murdered.
In a 2019 lawsuit, Facebook accused NSO Group of being an accessory to a hack of 1,400 mobile devices using WhatsApp.
(NSO Group denied the allegations at the time.)
iPhonespyware