Tag: spyware
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Arsink Spyware Posing as WhatsApp, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok Hits 143 Countries
Another day, another Android malware campaign targeting unsuspecting users worldwide by masquerading as popular apps. First seen on hackread.com Jump to article: hackread.com/arsink-spyware-whatsapp-youtube-instagram-tiktok/
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GhostChat Spyware Targets Android Users Through WhatsApp, Steals Sensitive Data
A sneaky Android spyware called GhostChat, which tricks Pakistan-based users with romance scams via WhatsApp. The malware grabs sensitive data like contacts, photos, and files from victims’ devices. Threat actors pose as dating apps to hook targets. GhostChat mimics a legit chat platform named >>Dating Apps without payment,<< stealing its icon for trust. Users must…
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Love hacks Wie eine Fake-App ahnungslose Nutzer in die Falle lockt
ESET-Forscher entdecken eine Android-Spyware-Kampagne, die auf Nutzer in Pakistan abzielt und Verbindungen zu einer breit angelegten Spionageoperation aufzeigt First seen on welivesecurity.com Jump to article: www.welivesecurity.com/de/eset-research/love-hacks-wie-eine-fake-app-ahnungslose-nutzer-in-die-falle-lockt/
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Love hacks Wie eine Fake-App ahnungslose Nutzer in die Falle lockt
ESET-Forscher entdecken eine Android-Spyware-Kampagne, die auf Nutzer in Pakistan abzielt und Verbindungen zu einer breit angelegten Spionageoperation aufzeigt First seen on welivesecurity.com Jump to article: www.welivesecurity.com/de/eset-research/love-hacks-wie-eine-fake-app-ahnungslose-nutzer-in-die-falle-lockt/
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Smashing Security podcast #452: The dark web’s worst assassins, and Pegasus in the dock
In episode 452, a London-based YouTuber wins a landmark court case against Saudi Arabia after his phone was hacked with Pegasus spyware, exposing how a single, seemingly harmless text message can turn a smartphone into a round-the-clock surveillance device. First seen on grahamcluley.com Jump to article: grahamcluley.com/smashing-security-podcast-452/
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A fake romance turns into an Android spyware infection
ESET researchers have identified an Android spyware campaign that uses romance scam tactics to target individuals in Pakistan. The operation relies on a malicious app … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/29/ghostchat-android-romance-spyware/
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New WhatsApp lockdown feature protects high-risk users from hackers
Meta has started rolling out a new WhatsApp lockdown-style security feature designed to protect journalists, public figures, and other high-risk individuals from sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/whatsapp-gets-new-lockdown-feature-that-blocks-cyberattacks/
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WhatsApp unveils anti-spyware ‘lockdown’ feature
Tags: spywareWhatsApp is rolling out a new security feature designed to curb spyware First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/whatsapp-spyware-anti-lockdown
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Saudi Arabia ordered to pay £3m to UK dissident targeted with Pegasus spyware
A court has found that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia subjected a London-based human rights activist to abuse and physical violence after infecting his phone with Pegasus spyware First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366637759/Saudi-Arabia-ordered-to-pay-3m-to-UK-dissident-targeted-with-Pegasus-spyware
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WhatsApp releases account feature that looks to combat spyware
The new “Strict Account Settings” toggle extends WhatsApp’s privacy push beyond end-to-end encryption. First seen on cyberscoop.com Jump to article: cyberscoop.com/whatsapp-strict-account-settings-lockdown-style-spyware-protection/
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WhatsApp Rolls Out Lockdown-Style Security Mode to Protect Targeted Users From Spyware
Meta on Tuesday announced it’s adding Strict Account Settings on WhatsApp to secure certain users against advanced cyber attacks because of who they are and what they do.The feature, similar to Lockdown Mode in Apple iOS and Advanced Protection in Android, aims to protect individuals, such as journalists or public-facing figures, from sophisticated spyware by…
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Saudi satirist hacked with Pegasus spyware wins damages in court battle
The London High Court awarded the London-based satirist and human rights activist Ghanem Al-Masarir more than £3 million, after finding the Saudi government hacked his phone and was likely behind a physical attack targeting him in London. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/26/saudi-satirist-hacked-with-pegasus-spyware-wins-damages-in-court-battle/
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Judge awards British critic of Saudis $4.1 million, finds the regime hacked his devices
A London judge said there was a “compelling basis” to conclude that Saudi Arabia was behind spyware infections aimed at YouTuber and regime critic Ghanem Al-Masarir. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/london-judge-sides-with-saudi-critic-spyware-case
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Ireland plans law allowing law enforcement to use spyware
The Irish government plans to draft legislation that would make it legal for law enforcement to use spyware, Minister of Justice Jim O’Callaghan said. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/ireland-plans-law-enforcement-spyware
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Spanish judge closes NSO Group spyware probe due to lack of cooperation from Israel
The case dates to May 2022, when the court launched a probe into the alleged spying on devices belonging to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Defence Minister Margarita Robles. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/spanish-judge-closes-nso-group-spyware-probe-israel
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Ireland proposes new law allowing police to use spyware
The Irish government announced that it wants to pass a law that would grant police more surveillance powers, such as using spyware to fight serious crime, while aiming to protect the privacy rights of its citizens. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/22/ireland-proposes-new-law-allowing-police-to-use-spyware/
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Ireland wants to give its cops spyware, ability to crack encrypted messages
Tags: spywareIts very own Snooper’s Charter comes a month after proposed biometric tech expansion First seen on theregister.com Jump to article: www.theregister.com/2026/01/21/ireland_wants_to_give_police/
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Predator Spyware Sample Indicates ‘Vendor-Controlled’ C2
Researchers detailed how Intellexa, Predator’s owner, uses failed deployments and thwarted infections to strengthen its commercial spyware and generate more effective attacks. First seen on darkreading.com Jump to article: www.darkreading.com/mobile-security/predator-spyware-sample-vendor-controlled-c2
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Predator-Spyware gefährlicher als gedacht
Bereits Ende 2024 veröffentlichte die Google Threat Intelligence Group erste Ergebnisse zu der Spyware Predator, die der Intellexa Alliance zugerechnet wird. Aufbauend auf diesen Erkenntnissen hat das Threat Labs Team von Jamf eigene Analysen durchgeführt First seen on it-daily.net Jump to article: www.it-daily.net/it-sicherheit/cybercrime/predator-spyware
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Predator spyware demonstrates troubleshooting, researcher-dodging capabilities
Tags: spywareIt’s the latest batch of revelations about what makes the Intellexa-made spyware stand out from competitors. First seen on cyberscoop.com Jump to article: cyberscoop.com/predator-spyware-demonstrates-troubleshooting-researcher-dodging-capabilities/
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Hungary grants asylum to former Polish minister implicated in spyware probe
Tags: spywareHungary has granted political asylum to Poland’s former justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, who is being prosecuted for his role in a spyware scandal that has rocked the country. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/hungary-asylum-spyware-probe-poland
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Shai-Hulud & Co.: Die Supply Chain als Achillesferse
Tags: access, ai, application-security, backdoor, ciso, cloud, cyber, cyberattack, data, github, Hardware, infrastructure, kritis, kubernetes, LLM, monitoring, network, nis-2, programming, resilience, risk, rust, sbom, software, spyware, strategy, supply-chain, tool, vulnerabilityEgal, ob React2Shell, Shai-Hulud oder XZ Utils: Die Sicherheit der Software-Supply-Chain wird durch zahlreiche Risiken gefährdet.Heutige Anwendungen basieren auf zahlreichen Komponenten, von denen jede zusammen mit den Entwicklungsumgebungen selbst eine Angriffsfläche darstellt. Unabhängig davon, ob Unternehmen Code intern entwickeln oder sich auf Drittanbieter verlassen, sollten CISOs, Sicherheitsexperten und Entwickler der Software-Supply-Chain besondere Aufmerksamkeit schenken.Zu den…
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pcTattletale founder pleads guilty in rare stalkerware prosecution
Tags: spywareThe founder of a spyware company that encouraged customers to secretly monitor their romantic partners has pleaded guilty to federal charges – marking one of the few successful US prosecutions of a stalkerware operator. First seen on bitdefender.com Jump to article: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/pctattletale-founder-pleads-guilty-in-rare-stalkerware-prosecution
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Michigan man learns the hard way that “catch a cheater” spyware apps aren’t legal
Tags: spywareSpying doesn’t become legal just because “cheaters” are the targets. First seen on arstechnica.com Jump to article: arstechnica.com/security/2026/01/michigan-man-learns-the-hard-way-that-catch-a-cheater-spyware-apps-arent-legal/
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Critics pan spyware maker NSO’s transparency claims amid its push to enter US market
Tags: spywareThe infamous spyware maker released a new transparency report claiming to be a responsible spyware maker, without providing insight into how the company dealt with problematic customers in the past. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/08/critics-pan-spyware-maker-nsos-transparency-claims-amid-its-push-to-enter-us-market/
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Founder of spyware maker pcTattletale pleads guilty to hacking and advertising surveillance software
Bryan Fleming, the founder of hacked stalkerware company pcTattletale, pleaded guilty to federal charges linked to the running of his now-defunct Michigan-based spyware company. First seen on techcrunch.com Jump to article: techcrunch.com/2026/01/06/founder-of-spyware-maker-pctattletale-pleads-guilty-to-hacking-and-advertising-surveillance-software/
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How to Protect Your iPhone or Android Device From Spyware
Being targeted by sophisticated spyware is relatively rare, but experts say that everyone needs to stay vigilant as this dangerous malware continues to proliferate worldwide. First seen on wired.com Jump to article: www.wired.com/story/how-to-protect-your-iphone-or-android-device-from-spyware/
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Treasury removes Intellexa spyware-linked trio from sanctions list
The three Iranians had only just been added to the list in 2024, but a U.S. official said they had separated themselves from the company. First seen on cyberscoop.com Jump to article: cyberscoop.com/treasury-removes-intellexa-spyware-linked-trio-from-sanctions-list/
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U.S. Treasury Lifts Sanctions on Three Individuals Linked to Intellexa and Predator Spyware
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Tuesday removed three individuals linked to the Intellexa Consortium, the holding company behind a commercial spyware known as Predator, from the specially designated nationals list.The names of the individuals are as follows -Merom HarpazAndrea Nicola Constantino Hermes GambazziSara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou First…
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Treasury removes sanctions for three executives tied to spyware maker Intellexa
Tags: spywareThe Treasury Department on Tuesday took three people closely affiliated with the holding company behind Predator spyware off of a sanctions list, reversing their designation in 2024 by the Biden administration. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/treasury-sanctions-intellexa-removed