According to The Guardian , WhatsApp has identified a spyware called Graphite that was used to attack and compromise the above accounts. This is a zero-click malware, meaning that victims do not need to open any malicious links to be infected. Graphite allows hackers to have full access to the phone, reading WhatsApp and Signal messages.
The Meta messaging platform did not disclose the identities of the victims or the countries affected, but said it detected and disrupted the attack in December and sent out direct warnings to those who may have been affected by the malware.
In addition to the warning, WhatsApp will soon take legal action against the company Paragon Solutions
Paragon Solutions, which is based in Virginia, had a $2 million contract with the Department of Homeland Security to provide spyware, but the contract was put on hold while it was reviewed for legality following former President Joe Biden’s executive order restricting spyware. Although the company claims to work with only 35 governments , it has declined to disclose its client list.
Graphite spyware has capabilities comparable to Pegasus, developed by NSO Group. Pegasus was once blacklisted by the US government for posing a national security risk. Paragon Solutions, founded by Ehud Barak, a former Israeli prime minister , is rumored to have been sold to US-based AE Industrial Partners for $900 million, although the deal has not yet been approved by the Israeli government.
For its part, messaging platform WhatsApp has asked Paragon to cease operations and is considering legal action. WhatsApp sued NSO Group in 2019 after discovering that 1,400 of its users were infected with spyware. In December 2023, a California judge ruled that NSO violated US cybersecurity laws.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/whatsapp-canh-bao-phan-mem-gian-diep-israel-tan-cong-nha-bao-185250201012427205.htm
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