The Android and iPhone spyware company NSO has suffered a major defeat in a US court, after a judge ruled that the company must hand over its Pegasus code to Meta.iPhone spyware company NSO NSO is an Israeli company best known for its Pegasus spyware, which can be used to remotely hack an iPhone.Simply receiving a particular iMessage – without opening it or interacting with it in any way – can allow an iPhone to be compromised, with almost all of the personal data on it exposed.
The US government banned the import and use of Pegasus, depriving the company of its most lucrative customer base: US law enforcement agencies.Apple added to the pressure, suing the company, and alerting owners of infected iPhones.That put the company under extreme financial pressure, which may see it disappear – or may just make things worse.
For those most at risk – such as diplomats, politicians, government opponents, and activists – Apple has made available iPhone Lockdown Mode, which disables the most common attack paths.Judge rules that NSO must hand over Pegasus code In addition to attacking iPhones, Pegasus also has exploits for specific apps, including WhatsApp.Meta discovered back in 2019 that the spyware had been used against around 1,400 WhatsApp users, and launched a lawsuit against the company.
As part of the case, Meta demanded that NSO hand over the code for Pegasus, and reveal its full functionality.NSO naturally refused, but reports that a judge has now ruled in favor of Meta.The lawsuit itself will continue once NSO has complied.
The US government continues to clamp down on NSO’s activities.As of this month, foreign individuals involved in the misuse of spyware will face visa restrictions which could ban them from travelling to the US. You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day.
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