iPhone and iPad users are being advised to update their software immediately after an attempt to hack into phones using “the most sophisticated software” the company has ever seen. Thankfully, instead of clicking the links, Mansoor forwarded the messages to Citizen Lab researchers.
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Mansoor was targeted five years ago with FinFisher spyware and again the following year with Hacking Team spyware, according to Citizen Lab research.
The existence of the software became known when Ahmed Mansoor, a human rights activist in the United Arab Emirates, began receiving suspicious text messages and asked researchers at Citizen Lab to determine if he was being hacked.
Two reports issued Thursday, one by Lookout, a San Francisco mobile security company, and another by Citizen Lab, based at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs, outlined how the program could completely compromise a device at the tap of a finger.
“We are not aware of any previous instance of an iPhone remote jailbreak used in the wild as part of a targeted attack campaign, making this a rare find”, Citizen Lab wrote.
NSO may need to apply for an export license, she added, saying that raised questions about “what consideration was given to the human rights record of UAE”.
The NSO Group tactics included impersonating sites such as the International Committee for the Red Cross; the British government’s visa application processing website, and a wide range of news organisations and major technology companies, according to researchers.
Apple released the security update after it discovered that texts, emails and calls could be accessible to hackers, CNET reports.
It is believed that three previously undisclosed vulnerabilities in Apple’s operation system were exploited by an organization called the NSO Group.
The hack can allow the hijacker access to stored photos and files, as well as tracking movements: even end-to-end apps that are supposed to be secure can be hacked through access to the camera and microphone. “We advise all of our customers to always download the latest version of iOS to protect themselves against potential security exploits”, said Apple spokesman Fred Sainz in a statement.
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Here, from Apple, are the instructions on how to find the latest updates and install them. “Specifically, the products may only be used for the prevention and investigation of crimes”.
