spyware

Pierluigi Paganini May 26, 2021
Agrius group targets Israel with data-wipers disguised as ransomware

An Iran-linked threat actor tracked as Agrius employed data-wipers disguised as ransomware to destroy targeted IT infrastructure. Researchers from cyber-security firm SentinelOne discovered a new Iran-linked threat actor, tracked as Agrius, which relied on data-wiping malware disguised as ransomware to destroy the targeted systems. In order to hide the real nature of the threat, the […]

Pierluigi Paganini March 27, 2021
Experts spotted a new advanced Android spyware posing as “System Update”

Researchers spotted a sophisticated Android spyware that implements exfiltration capabilities and surveillance features, including recording audio and phone calls. Experts from security firm Zimperium have spotted a new sophisticated Android spyware that masquerades itself as a System Update application. The malware is able to collect system data, messages, images and take over the infected Android […]

Pierluigi Paganini February 24, 2021
APT32 state hackers target human rights defenders with spyware

Vietnam-linked APT32 group targeted Vietnamese human rights defenders (HRDs) between February 2018 and November 2020. Vietnam-linked APT32 (aka Ocean Lotus) group has conducted a cyberespionage campaign targeting Vietnamese human rights defenders (HRDs) and a nonprofit (NPO) human rights organization from Vietnam between February 2018 and November 2020. The threat actors used by spyware to take […]

Pierluigi Paganini December 16, 2020
Sextortion campaign uses Goontact spyware to target Android and iOS users

Security experts spotted a new malware strain, named Goontact, that allows its operators to spy on both Android and iOS users. Security researchers from Lookout have discovered new spyware, dubbed Goontcat, that could target both Android and iOS users. Goontact implement common spyware features, including the ability to gather data from the infected devices and […]

Pierluigi Paganini October 14, 2020
German authorities raid the offices of the FinFisher surveillance firm

Earlier this month, German authorities have raided the offices of FinFisher, the German surveillance software firm, accused of providing its software to oppressive regimes. German authorities have raided the offices of FinFisher, the popular German surveillance firm as part of an investigation into the alleged sale of their software to oppressive regimes. The news was first reported […]

Pierluigi Paganini September 28, 2020
Unknown FinSpy Mac and Linux versions found in Egypt

Experts from Amnesty International uncovered a surveillance campaign that targeted Egyptian civil society organizations with a new version of FinSpy spyware. Amnesty International uncovered a new surveillance campaign that targeted Egyptian civil society organizations with previously undisclosed versions of the infamous FinSpy surveillance spyware. The new versions employed in this campaign allow its operators to […]

Pierluigi Paganini August 28, 2020
Elon Musk confirms that Russian hackers tried to recruit Tesla employee to plant a malware

Elon Musk confirmed that Russian hackers attempted to recruit an employee to install malware into the network of electric car maker Tesla. Recently US authorities arrested the Russian national Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov (27) after attempting to recruit an employee at a targeted company to plant a piece of malware. The man was arrested on August […]

Pierluigi Paganini April 25, 2020
Facebook vs NSO Group lawsuit: 1,400+ users were targeted with Pegasus spyware

The legal dispute between Facebook and NSO group continues even after the Israeli surveillance firm filed a motion to dismiss the case earlier this month. Facebook advocates have challenged a plea from spyware maker NSO Group to dismiss the legal dispute over the hacking accusations, arguing it has immunity from prosecution. Now both companies are […]

Pierluigi Paganini April 17, 2020
Syria-linked APT group SEA targets Android users with COVID19 lures

Syrian-linked APT group SEA recently used COVID-19-themed lures as part of a long-running surveillance campaign, security researchers warn. Syrian hackers are behind a long-running campaign that has been active since January 2018 and that targets Arabic-speaking Android users. The campaign aimed at users in Syria and surrounding regions was spotted by experts from mobile security firm […]

Pierluigi Paganini October 30, 2019
WhatsApp sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group and its parent Q Cyber Technologies

WhatsApp sued Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group, accusing it of using a flaw in its messaging service to conduct cyberespionage on journalists and activists. WhatsApp sued the Israeli surveillance firm NSO Group accusing it of carrying out malicious attacks against its users. In May, Facebook has patched a critical zero-day vulnerability in WhatsApp, tracked as CVE-2019-3568, that has […]