The Perils of Spyware:â How â¤Zero-Click Exploits Threaten Privacy and Security
The Stealthy Nature ofâ Zero-Click Exploits
In a âstartling revelation by Google’s Project Zero researchers in 2021, an iMessage-based⤠zero-click exploit was found âto have targeted a⣠Saudi activist. The researchers grimly noted,
“Short of not using a device, there is no way to prevent exploitation âbyâ a zero-click exploit; it’s a weapon against which there is no defense,”
highlighting âthe âvulnerability⤠of⤠iOS and Android softwareâ to such attacks.
The Role of Spyware Vendors
Spyware exists due to vendors like NSO â˘Group, which asserts that it only sells exploits âto governments for tracking⤠criminals and terrorists. â˘Richard Werner, a cybersecurity advisor at Trendâ Micro, points out that customers, including governments in Europe and Northâ America, agree not to disclose â˘these vulnerabilities.
Spyware Targets:â Journalists, Dissidents, and Protesters
Despite NSO â˘Group’s claims, spyware has persistently targeted âjournalists, dissidents,â and protesters. Hanan Elatr,â the wife of⢠murdered Saudi journalist Jamalâ Khashoggi, was allegedly â targeted with Pegasus before his death. ⢠New York⣠Times reporterâ Ben Hubbard âdiscovered his phone had been targeted âŁtwice with Pegasus in 2021.
Pegasus silently infiltrated the â˘iPhone of Claude Magnin, the wife of jailed and allegedly tortured Moroccan political activist Naama Asfari. The spyware⢠has alsoâ been âŁused âagainstâ pro-democracy protesters in Thailand, exiled Russian⣠journalist Galina Timchenko, âand even UK government officials.
Apple’s Legal Battle Against NSO Group
In 2021, Apple initiated a lawsuit against NSO Group and its parent company, seeking â¤to hold âthem accountable for “the surveillance âand targeting of Apple users.” The case is ongoing, with â¤NSOâ Group attempting to âŁdismiss the lawsuit. âExperts â˘believe the problem will persist as âŁlong as spyware vendors can operate.
The â˘Human Factor Behind Spyware
David Ruiz, a senior privacy â˘advocate at Malwarebytes, attributes theâ danger of spyware to society to⤠“the âobsessive â˘and â˘oppressive operatorsâ behind spyware, who âcompound its danger to society.”
Dealing âŁwith Spyware Infections
The Nuclear âOption: Abandoning Hardware and Accounts
Experts advise that âŁif you are targeted by a zero-click exploit delivering spyware, the â¤best course of action is â¤to completely abandon both the hardware and any associated⢠accounts. Aaron Engel, chiefâ information security officer⢠at ExpressVPN, recommendsâ getting a newâ computer, a new phone number, and creating entirely new accounts âlinked to⣠theâ device.
Detecting Spyware: A Challenging Task
Javvad Malik, leadâ securityâ awareness advocate âŁat KnowBe4, notes that detecting spyware⣠can be difficult. However, unusual behavior such as rapid battery drain, unexpected shutdowns, or high data â¤usage couldâ indicate some âtypes of â˘infections. Whileâ specific apps claim to detect âspyware, their effectiveness varies, and professional assistance is often required for reliable detection.
4 Comments
Guess Apple’s impregnable fortress just found its achilles heel, spyware invasion!
So Apple’s shiny armor is finally showing some cracks with spyware slipping through, huh?
Apple’s “unbreakable” security myth? Meet its nemesis: spyware.
Looks like Apple’s “walled garden” has some creeping vines of spyware now.