New flaw in Apple devices led to spyware infection, researchers say
The Hindu
Citizen Lab finds spyware linked to Israeli firm NSO exploiting newly discovered flaw in Apple devices. Apple confirms using "Lockdown Mode" blocks attack. Civil society serves as early warning system. Apple issues new updates to fix vulnerability; NSO unable to comment. U.S. blacklisted NSO in 2021 for alleged abuses.
Researchers at digital watchdog group Citizen Lab said on Thursday they found spyware they linked to Israeli firm NSO that exploited a newly discovered flaw in Apple devices.
While inspecting the Apple device of an employee of a Washington-based civil society group last week, Citizen Lab said it found the flaw had been used to infect the device with NSO's Pegasus spyware, it said in a statement.
"We attribute the exploit to NSO Group's Pegasus spyware with high confidence, based on forensics we have from the target device," said Bill Marczak, senior researcher at Citizen Lab, which is based at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
He said the attacker likely made a mistake during the installation which is how Citizen Lab found the spyware.
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Citizen Lab said Apple confirmed to them that using the high security feature "Lockdown Mode" available on Apple devices blocks this particular attack.
"This shows that civil society is once again serving as the early warning system about really sophisticated attacks," said John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at Citizen Lab.
No room for complacency till counting is completed, Chandrababu Naidu tells TDP-BJP-JSP contestants. The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance will register a comfortable victory in the general elections over the YSRCP, he says. Alleging that the YSRCP has conspired to create disturbances on the counting day, the TDP national president advises the chief counting agents and their teams to see to it that the officials adhere to norms related to counting.