New Delhi: WhatsApp has recently revealed that nearly 90 people across two dozen countries were targeted by hackers using spyware, The victims included journalists and members of civil society. They were attacked through a hacking tool developed by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company which specialises in spyware.
Paragon’s software, often sold to government clients for purposes like combating crime and ensuring national security, was used to compromise the devices of these individuals, the WhatsApp official told Reuters.
What makes this attack particularly concerning is that Paragon’s spyware uses a “zero-click” hack. This means the victims didn’t need to click on any harmful links to get infected. The spyware can infiltrate a device without any action from the user which silently breaches the security. Once installed, it gives hackers complete access to the phone.
It also allows them to read encrypted messages on apps like WhatsApp and Signal. The victims were sent malicious documents that didn’t require any interaction to compromise their devices, making this type of attack especially stealthy, The WhatsApp official told Reuters.
WhatsApp officials, speaking to Reuters, didn’t reveal the exact identities of those targeted but mentioned that the victims were located in over two dozen countries, including several in Europe. However, The Guardian reported that the main targets of the hackers were journalists and members of civil society.
The WhatsApp official confirmed that the company had disrupted the hacking attempt and was directing the affected users to Citizen Lab, a Canadian internet watchdog group. However, they did not reveal how WhatsApp determined that Paragon was behind the attack. The official also mentioned that law enforcement and industry partners had been notified but didn’t provide further details.
The FBI has not yet responded to a request for comment. Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton commented that the discovery of Paragon spyware targeting WhatsApp users “is a reminder that mercenary spyware continues to proliferate, and as it does, we continue to see familiar patterns of problematic use.”
