Several people in India including Kashmiri Journalist Muzammil Jaleel, who is the deputy editor of Indian express have figured in a leaked list of potential targets for surveillance using hacking software ‘Pegasus’, sold by the Israeli surveillance company NSO.
The recent leak reveals that around 300 verified Indian mobile telephone numbers which include the number of Opposition party leaders, ministers, activists were hacked into, the wire reported.
The Government has said that no concrete basis or truth is associated with it whatsoever.
Other than Muzammil Jaleel, several other Kashmiri names including Iftikhar Gilani, Aurangzeb Naqshbandi, Ruwa Shah, Hassan Babar Nehru and Shabir Hussein Buchh have appeared in the latest leak.
What is Pegasus?
Pegasus is spyware was developed by the Tel Aviv, Israel-based cyber intelligence and security firm NSO Group. It is believed to have been present since 2016. The spyware is known by some other names also like Q Suite and Trident.
It can invade iOS, Apple’s mobile phone operating system, and Android devices. Pegasus was supposed to be used by govt on a per-license basis.
NSO has been blamed in the past for using Pegasus to peep on people.
According to media reports In late 2019, WhatsApp, the Facebook-owned messaging service, confirmed that some 1,400 of its users in 20 countries, including Indian journalists and activists, had been targeted by Pegasus in May that year.
As per the report, WhatsApp said the spyware exploited its video calling system and a specific vulnerability to send malware to the mobile devices. The vulnerability has since been patched.
The NSO Group allegedly created fake WhatsApp accounts, that were used to make video calls. When an unsuspecting user’s phone rang, the attacker transferred the malicious code and the spyware got auto-installed in the phone even if the user did not answer the call.
Through the spyware Pegasus, the attacker then took over the phone’s systems, gaining access to the user’s phone applications including the Messengers that include WhatsApp messages and calls. Calendar events, Passwords, contacts, phone’s camera and even the microphone.
NSO Group has rejected any misdeed. It insisted to sell Pegasus only to “vetted and legitimate government agencies.”