[ad_1] It’s no secret that some countries have spied on their citizens through innocuous-looking apps, but one effort is more extensive than usual. Check Point Research has discovered (via ZDNet) that Rampant Kitten, an Iranian hacker group that has targeted the country’s political opponents for years, has developed Android malware focused on stealing two-factor authentication […]
Category: spyware
Google will prohibit ads for ‘intimate partner surveillance’ tech
[ad_1] Starting August 11th, Google is banning advertisements for “stalkerware” apps and hardware, which enable someone to track the phone activity or movement of another person. These apps and hardware tend to be used for “intimate partner surveillance,” according to an update on Google’s advertising policies change log. The apps are already banned in Google […]
WhatsApp claims spyware firm launched attacks with US servers
[ad_1] Facebook just escalated its lawsuit over surveillance firm NSO Group’s WhatsApp call exploit attacks. The WhatsApp team has filed accusations that NSO relied on US-based servers to stage its spyware attacks using Pegasus software. NSO reportedly used the Los Angeles hosting service QuadraNet “more than 700 times” to infect users with malware, while an […]
The latest iPad Pro disables mics when its case is closed
[ad_1] When the case’s cover is closed, software can’t access audio data, whether from a standard app or one with root privileges. This means that even if the iPad’s firmware is affected by malware, a bad actor won’t be able to listen in. For the feature to work, the user has to have a case […]
Google pulls alleged UAE spying app ToTok from the Play Store, again
[ad_1] Google confirmed to TechCrunch that it did remove ToTok from the Play Store, but didn’t say why. The company did, however, make it clear that the app wasn’t pulled due to an outside request from, for example, a government agency. TechCrunch speculates that a policy violation is what caused the app to be removed. […]
Facebook sues Israeli firm over WhatsApp call exploit attacks
[ad_1] In a statement sent to Engadget, the NSO Group has strongly denied that it had a hand in the attacks. It also claimed that its surveillance technology called Pegasus, which it sells to governments around the world, is being used to save lives: “In the strongest possible terms, we dispute today’s allegations and will […]
Apple re-fixes a bug that let users jailbreak iPhones
[ad_1] This current update fixes a kernel vulnerability that would have allowed an attacker to “execute arbitrary code with system privileges” on an iPhone or iPad. Apple also mentioned Pwn20wnd, the hacker that released the public jailbreak. “We would like to acknowledge @Pwn20wnd for their assistance,” the company wrote in a security update. As you […]
WhatsApp call exploit let attackers slip spyware on to phones
[ad_1] While the perpetrators haven’t been identified, there are suspicions that it may be a Middle Eastern country trying to clamp down on criticism of its human rights practices. There was a failed attempt on May 12th to compromise the phone of a UK-based human rights lawyer who helped a Saudi dissident in Canada and […]
Android spyware Exodus makes the leap to iOS devices
[ad_1] According to Lookout, Exodus for iOS was found on a number of phishing sites that were designed to trick customers of mobile carriers in Italy and Turkmenistan. The spyware was determined to be a stripped down port of the Android version. If installed on a device, the malicious software could steal contacts, photos, videos […]