<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
is	O
spyware	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
Israeli	O
cyber-arms	O
company	O
NSO	O
Group	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
covertly	O
installed	O
on	O
mobile	O
phones	O
(	O
and	O
other	O
devices	O
)	O
running	O
most	O
versions	O
of	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Android	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
is	O
able	O
to	O
exploit	O
iOS	B-Application
versions	O
up	O
to	O
14.7	O
,	O
through	O
a	O
zero-click	O
exploit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
2022	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
capable	O
of	O
reading	O
text	O
messages	O
,	O
tracking	O
calls	O
,	O
collecting	O
passwords	O
,	O
location	O
tracking	O
,	O
accessing	O
the	O
target	O
device	O
's	O
microphone	O
and	O
camera	O
,	O
and	O
harvesting	O
information	O
from	O
apps	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spyware	O
is	O
named	O
after	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
,	O
the	O
winged	O
horse	O
of	O
Greek	O
mythology	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
discovered	O
in	O
August	O
2016	O
after	O
a	O
failed	O
installation	O
attempt	O
on	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Device
of	O
a	O
human	O
rights	O
activist	O
led	O
to	O
an	O
investigation	O
revealing	O
details	O
about	O
the	O
spyware	O
,	O
its	O
abilities	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
security	O
vulnerabilities	O
it	O
exploited	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
called	O
the	O
"	O
most	O
sophisticated	O
"	O
smartphone	O
attack	O
ever	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
that	O
a	O
malicious	O
remote	O
exploit	O
used	O
jailbreaking	B-Application
to	O
gain	O
unrestricted	O
access	O
to	O
an	O
iPhone	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
investigation	O
initiative	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
Project	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
an	O
in-depth	O
analysis	O
by	O
human	O
rights	O
group	O
Amnesty	O
International	O
,	O
reported	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
still	O
being	O
widely	O
used	O
against	O
high-profile	O
targets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NSO	O
Group	O
developed	O
its	O
first	O
iteration	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
in	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
's	O
iOS	B-Application
exploitation	O
was	O
identified	O
in	O
August	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mansoor	O
sent	O
the	O
link	O
to	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
of	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Toronto	O
,	O
which	O
investigated	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
collaboration	O
of	O
Lookout	O
,	O
finding	O
that	O
if	O
Mansoor	O
had	O
followed	O
the	O
link	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
jailbroken	B-Application
his	O
phone	O
and	O
implanted	O
the	O
spyware	O
into	O
it	O
,	O
in	O
a	O
form	O
of	O
social	O
engineering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citizen	O
Lab	O
and	O
Lookout	O
discovered	O
that	O
the	O
link	O
downloaded	O
software	O
to	O
exploit	O
three	O
previously	O
unknown	O
and	O
unpatched	O
zero-day	O
vulnerabilities	O
in	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
their	O
analysis	O
,	O
the	O
software	O
can	O
jailbreak	B-Application
an	O
iPhone	B-Device
when	O
a	O
malicious	O
URL	O
is	O
opened	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
software	O
installs	O
itself	O
and	O
collects	O
all	O
communications	O
and	O
locations	O
of	O
targeted	O
iPhones	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
researchers	O
noticed	O
that	O
the	O
software	O
's	O
code	O
referenced	O
an	O
NSO	O
Group	O
product	O
called	O
"	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
"	O
in	O
leaked	O
marketing	O
materials	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
had	O
previously	O
come	O
to	O
light	O
in	O
a	O
leak	O
of	O
records	O
from	O
Hacking	O
Team	O
,	O
which	O
indicated	O
the	O
software	O
had	O
been	O
supplied	O
to	O
the	O
government	O
of	O
Panama	O
in	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citizen	O
Lab	O
and	O
Lookout	O
notified	O
Apple	O
's	O
security	O
team	O
,	O
which	O
patched	O
the	O
flaws	O
within	O
ten	O
days	O
and	O
released	O
an	O
update	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
patch	O
for	O
macOS	B-Application
was	O
released	O
six	O
days	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Regarding	O
how	O
widespread	O
the	O
issue	O
was	O
,	O
Lookout	O
explained	O
in	O
a	O
blog	O
post	O
:	O
"	O
We	O
believe	O
that	O
this	O
spyware	O
has	O
been	O
in	O
the	O
wild	O
for	O
a	O
significant	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
based	O
on	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
indicators	O
within	O
the	O
code	O
"	O
and	O
pointed	O
out	O
that	O
the	O
code	O
shows	O
signs	O
of	O
a	O
"	O
kernel	O
mapping	O
table	O
that	O
has	O
values	O
all	O
the	O
way	O
back	O
to	O
iOS	B-Operating_System
7	I-Operating_System
"	O
(	O
released	O
2013	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
an	O
Al	O
Jazeera	O
investigative	O
show	O
The	O
Hidden	O
is	O
More	O
Immense	O
covered	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
and	O
its	O
penetration	O
into	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
media	O
professionals	O
and	O
activists	O
;	O
and	O
its	O
use	O
by	O
Israel	O
to	O
eavesdrop	O
on	O
both	O
opponents	O
and	O
allies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
spyware	O
can	O
be	O
installed	O
on	O
devices	O
running	O
certain	O
versions	O
of	O
iOS	B-Application
,	O
Apple	O
's	O
mobile	O
operating	O
system	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
some	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
being	O
a	O
specific	O
exploit	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
is	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
exploits	O
that	O
uses	O
many	O
vulnerabilities	O
in	O
the	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
exploits	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
uses	O
are	O
zero-click	O
—	O
that	O
is	O
,	O
they	O
can	O
run	O
without	O
any	O
interaction	O
from	O
the	O
victim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
installed	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
has	O
been	O
reported	O
to	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
run	O
arbitrary	O
code	O
,	O
extract	O
contacts	O
,	O
call	O
logs	O
,	O
messages	O
,	O
photos	O
,	O
web	O
browsing	O
history	O
,	O
settings	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
gather	O
information	O
from	O
apps	O
including	O
but	O
not	O
limited	O
to	O
communications	O
apps	O
iMessage	O
,	O
Gmail	B-Application
,	O
Viber	B-Application
,	O
Facebook	B-Application
,	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
,	O
Telegram	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Skype	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2017	O
,	O
after	O
a	O
Lookout	O
report	O
,	O
Google	O
researchers	O
discovered	O
Android	B-Application
malware	O
"	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
created	O
by	O
NSO	O
Group	O
Technologies	O
"	O
and	O
named	O
it	O
Chrysaor	O
(	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
 '	O
brother	O
in	O
Greek	O
mythology	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Google	O
,	O
"	O
Chrysaor	O
is	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2017	O
Security	O
Analyst	O
Summit	O
held	O
by	O
Kaspersky	O
Lab	O
,	O
researchers	O
revealed	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
available	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
in	O
addition	O
to	O
iOS	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
functionality	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
iOS	B-Application
version	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
mode	O
of	O
attack	O
is	O
different	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Android	B-Application
version	O
tries	O
to	O
gain	O
root	B-Application
access	I-Application
(	O
similar	O
to	O
jailbreaking	B-Application
in	O
iOS	B-Application
)	O
;	O
if	O
it	O
fails	O
,	O
it	O
asks	O
the	O
user	O
for	O
permissions	O
that	O
enable	O
it	O
to	O
harvest	O
at	O
least	O
some	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
Google	O
said	O
that	O
only	O
a	O
few	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
had	O
been	O
infected	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
hides	O
itself	O
as	O
far	O
as	O
is	O
possible	O
and	O
self-destructs	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
eliminate	O
evidence	O
if	O
unable	O
to	O
communicate	O
with	O
its	O
command-and-control	O
server	O
for	O
more	O
than	O
60	O
days	O
,	O
or	O
if	O
on	O
the	O
wrong	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
also	O
can	O
self-destruct	O
on	O
command	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
it	O
is	O
not	O
possible	O
to	O
compromise	O
a	O
target	O
device	O
by	O
simpler	O
means	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
can	O
be	O
installed	O
by	O
setting	O
up	O
a	O
wireless	O
transceiver	O
near	O
a	O
target	O
device	O
,	O
or	O
by	O
gaining	O
physical	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
device	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earliest	O
version	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
–	O
which	O
was	O
identified	O
in	O
2016	O
–	O
relied	O
on	O
a	O
spear-phishing	O
attack	O
which	O
required	O
the	O
target	O
to	O
click	O
a	O
malicious	O
link	O
in	O
a	O
text	O
message	O
or	O
email	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
August	O
2016	O
–	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
former	O
NSO	O
employee	O
–	O
the	O
U.S.	O
version	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
had	O
1-click	O
capabilities	O
for	O
all	O
phones	O
apart	O
from	O
old	O
Blackberry	O
models	O
which	O
could	O
be	O
infiltrated	O
with	O
a	O
0-click	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
revealed	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
had	O
employed	O
a	O
vulnerability	O
in	O
its	O
app	O
to	O
launch	O
zero-click	O
attacks	O
(	O
the	O
spyware	O
would	O
be	O
installed	O
onto	O
a	O
target	O
's	O
phone	O
by	O
calling	O
the	O
target	O
phone	O
;	O
the	O
spyware	O
would	O
be	O
installed	O
even	O
if	O
the	O
call	O
was	O
not	O
answered	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2019	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
has	O
come	O
to	O
rely	O
on	O
iPhone	B-Device
iMessage	O
vulnerabilities	O
to	O
deploy	O
spyware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
2020	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
shifted	O
towards	O
zero-click	O
exploits	O
and	O
network-based	O
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lookout	O
provided	O
details	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
iOS	B-Application
vulnerabilities	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
CVE-2016-4656	O
:	O
Kernel	O
memory	O
corruption	O
leads	O
to	O
jailbreak	B-Application
–	O
32	O
and	O
64	O
bit	O
iOS	B-Application
kernel-level	O
vulnerabilities	O
that	O
allow	O
the	O
attacker	O
to	O
secretly	O
jailbreak	B-Application
the	O
device	O
and	O
install	O
surveillance	O
software	O
–	O
details	O
in	O
reference	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Google	B-Application
's	I-Application
Project	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
documented	O
another	O
exploit	O
,	O
dubbed	O
FORCEDENTRY	B-Application
,	O
in	O
December	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Google	O
's	O
researchers	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
sent	O
an	O
iMessage	O
to	O
its	O
targets	O
that	O
contained	O
what	O
appeared	O
to	O
be	O
GIF	O
images	O
,	O
but	O
which	O
in	O
fact	O
contained	O
a	O
JBIG2	B-Algorithm
image	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
vulnerability	O
in	O
the	O
Xpdf	B-Protocol
implementation	O
of	O
JBIG2	B-Algorithm
,	O
re-used	O
in	O
Apple	O
's	O
iOS	B-Application
phone	O
operating	O
software	O
,	O
allowed	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
construct	O
an	O
emulated	O
computer	B-General_Concept
architecture	I-General_Concept
inside	O
the	O
JBIG2	B-Algorithm
stream	O
which	O
was	O
then	O
used	O
to	O
implement	O
the	O
zero-click	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Apple	O
fixed	O
the	O
vulnerability	O
in	O
iOS	B-Application
14.8	O
in	O
September	O
2021	O
as	O
CVE-2021-30860	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
likely	O
uses	O
many	O
exploits	O
,	O
some	O
not	O
listed	O
in	O
the	O
above	O
CVEs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Human	O
rights	O
group	O
Amnesty	O
International	O
reported	O
in	O
the	O
2021	O
investigation	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
employs	O
a	O
sophisticated	O
command-and-control	O
(	O
C&C	O
)	O
infrastructure	O
to	O
deliver	O
exploit	O
payloads	O
and	O
send	O
commands	O
to	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
targets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
at	O
least	O
four	O
known	O
iterations	O
of	O
the	O
C&C	O
infrastructure	O
,	O
dubbed	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
Anonymizing	O
Transmission	O
Network	O
(	O
PATN	O
)	O
by	O
NSO	O
group	O
,	O
each	O
encompassing	O
up	O
to	O
500	O
domain	O
names	O
,	O
DNS	B-Protocol
servers	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
other	O
network	O
infrastructure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PATN	O
reportedly	O
utilizes	O
techniques	O
such	O
as	O
registering	O
high	O
port	B-Protocol
numbers	I-Protocol
for	O
their	O
online	O
infrastructure	O
as	O
to	O
avoid	O
conventional	O
internet	O
scanning	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PATN	O
also	O
uses	O
up	O
to	O
three	O
randomised	O
subdomains	B-Protocol
unique	O
per	O
exploit	O
attempt	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
randomised	O
URL	O
paths	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
is	O
stated	O
as	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
against	O
criminals	O
and	O
terrorists	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
used	O
by	O
both	O
authoritarian	O
and	O
democratic	O
governments	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
critics	O
and	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
About	O
twenty	O
Armenian	O
citizens	O
were	O
spied	O
on	O
via	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Papyan	O
said	O
that	O
NSO	O
group	O
appears	O
to	O
be	O
jailbreaking	B-Application
a	O
phone	O
and	O
provides	O
interface	O
for	O
viewing	O
the	O
obtained	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
head	O
of	O
Azerbaijani	O
service	O
of	O
Radio	O
Liberty/Radio	O
Free	O
Europe	O
(	O
Azadliq	O
)	O
Jamie	O
Fly	O
expressed	O
his	O
anger	O
when	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
his	O
five	O
current	O
and	O
former	O
employees	O
were	O
tapped	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citizen	O
Lab	O
revealed	O
the	O
government	O
of	O
Bahrain	O
used	O
the	O
NSO	O
Group	O
's	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
hack	O
activists	O
,	O
bloggers	O
,	O
members	O
of	O
Waad	O
(	O
a	O
secular	O
Bahraini	O
political	O
society	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
Al	O
Wefaq	O
(	O
a	O
Shiite	O
Bahraini	O
political	O
society	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
Bahrain	O
Center	O
for	O
Human	O
Rights	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
attributed	O
“	O
with	O
high	O
confidence	O
”	O
that	O
a	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
operator	O
,	O
LULU	O
,	O
was	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
Bahraini	O
government	O
to	O
breach	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
four	O
of	O
the	O
nine	O
activists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
Bahrain	O
was	O
accused	O
of	O
using	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
to	O
hack	O
a	O
human	O
rights	O
defender	O
,	O
Ebtisam	O
al-Saegh	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2022	O
,	O
an	O
investigation	O
by	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
and	O
Amnesty	O
International	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
was	O
used	O
to	O
infect	O
the	O
devices	O
of	O
a	O
lawyer	O
,	O
an	O
online	O
journalist	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
mental	O
health	O
counsellor	O
in	O
Bahrain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
of	O
the	O
three	O
activists	O
were	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
Bahraini	O
authorities	O
and	O
were	O
targeted	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
between	O
June	O
and	O
September	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
an	O
exiled	O
Bahraini	O
activist	O
,	O
Yusuf	O
al-Jamri	O
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
the	O
Bahraini	O
government	O
and	O
the	O
NSO	O
Group	O
,	O
alleging	O
the	O
his	O
phone	O
was	O
hacked	O
using	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
in	O
August	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
the	O
U.S.	O
Central	O
Intelligence	O
Agency	O
purchased	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
for	O
the	O
Djibouti	O
government	O
to	O
conduct	O
counter-terrorism	O
operations	O
(	O
despite	O
Djibouti	O
's	O
poor	O
human	O
rights	O
record	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Egyptian	O
PM	O
Mostafa	O
Madbouly	O
was	O
selected	O
for	O
potential	O
targeting	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
-	O
apparently	O
by	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
El	O
Faro	O
,	O
a	O
prominent	O
Salvadoran	O
news	O
outlet	O
,	O
revealed	O
that	O
a	O
majority	O
of	O
its	O
staff	O
had	O
their	O
phones	O
infiltrated	O
using	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Between	O
July	O
2020	O
and	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
deployed	O
on	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
22	O
employees	O
of	O
El	O
Faro	O
,	O
including	O
reporters	O
,	O
editors	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
staff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Estonia	O
entered	O
negotiations	O
to	O
procure	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
in	O
2018	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
made	O
a	O
$30	O
million	O
down	O
payment	O
for	O
the	O
tool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Israel	O
initially	O
approved	O
the	O
export	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
Estonia	O
,	O
but	O
after	O
a	O
senior	O
Russian	O
defense	O
official	O
approached	O
the	O
Israeli	O
defense	O
agencies	O
and	O
revealed	O
that	O
Russia	O
had	O
learned	O
of	O
Estonia	O
's	O
intentions	O
to	O
obtain	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
,	O
Israel	O
decided	O
to	O
disallow	O
Estonia	O
from	O
using	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
against	O
any	O
Russian	O
phone	O
number	O
(	O
following	O
a	O
heated	O
debate	O
among	O
Israeli	O
officials	O
)	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
avoid	O
damaging	O
Israeli	O
relations	O
with	O
Russia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
Finnish	O
foreign	O
ministry	O
reported	O
that	O
several	O
phones	O
of	O
Finnish	O
diplomats	O
have	O
been	O
infected	O
with	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
Le	O
Monde	O
reported	O
that	O
President	O
of	O
France	O
Emmanuel	O
Macron	O
and	O
14	O
French	O
ministers	O
were	O
flagged	O
as	O
potential	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
targets	O
for	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
spying	O
by	O
Morocco	O
;	O
Moroccan	O
authorities	O
denied	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
use	O
and	O
labelled	O
the	O
allegation	O
as	O
"	O
unfounded	O
and	O
false	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
is	O
in	O
use	O
by	O
German	O
Federal	O
Criminal	O
Police	O
Office	O
(	O
BKA	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
BKA	O
acquired	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
in	O
2019	O
with	O
"	O
utmost	O
secrecy	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
despite	O
hesitations	O
from	O
its	O
legal	O
council	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
by	O
BKA	O
was	O
later	O
revealed	O
by	O
German	O
media	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
government	O
of	O
Viktor	O
Orbán	O
authorized	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
by	O
Hungarian	O
intelligence	O
and	O
law	O
enforcement	O
services	O
to	O
target	O
the	O
government	O
's	O
political	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
findings	O
released	O
in	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
journalists	O
and	O
managers	O
of	O
media	O
holdings	O
appear	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
spied	O
on	O
by	O
the	O
Hungarian	O
government	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phone	O
numbers	O
of	O
at	O
least	O
10	O
lawyers	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
5	O
journalists	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
opposition	O
politician	O
were	O
included	O
on	O
a	O
leaked	O
list	O
of	O
potential	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
surveillance	O
targets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2021	O
,	O
Lajos	O
Kósa	O
,	O
head	O
of	O
a	O
parliamentary	O
defense	O
and	O
law	O
enforcement	O
committee	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
Hungarian	O
senior	O
official	O
who	O
acknowledged	O
that	O
the	O
country	O
's	O
Interior	O
Ministry	O
purchased	O
and	O
used	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kósa	O
admitted	O
that	O
Hungary	O
had	O
indeed	O
purchased	O
and	O
used	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
,	O
stating	O
"	O
I	O
do	O
n't	O
see	O
anything	O
objectionable	O
in	O
it	O
 [ ... ] 	O
large	O
tech	O
companies	O
carry	O
out	O
much	O
broader	O
monitoring	O
of	O
citizens	O
than	O
the	O
Hungarian	O
state	O
does.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2019	O
,	O
Facebook	B-Application
initiated	O
a	O
suit	O
against	O
NSO	O
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
had	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
intercept	O
the	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
communications	O
of	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
activists	O
,	O
journalists	O
,	O
and	O
bureaucrats	O
in	O
India	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
accusations	O
that	O
the	O
Indian	O
government	O
was	O
involved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phone	O
numbers	O
of	O
Indian	O
ministers	O
,	O
opposition	O
leaders	O
,	O
ex-election	O
commissioners	O
and	O
journalists	O
were	O
allegedly	O
found	O
on	O
a	O
database	O
of	O
NSO	O
hacking	O
targets	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
Project	O
in	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Phone	O
numbers	O
of	O
Koregaon	O
Bhima	O
activists	O
who	O
had	O
compromising	O
data	O
implanted	O
on	O
their	O
computers	O
through	O
a	O
hack	O
found	O
on	O
a	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
surveillance	O
phone	O
number	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Independent	O
digital	O
forensic	O
analysis	O
conducted	O
on	O
10	O
Indian	O
phones	O
whose	O
numbers	O
were	O
present	O
in	O
the	O
data	O
showed	O
signs	O
of	O
either	O
an	O
attempted	O
or	O
successful	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
hack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
phone	O
of	O
Iraqi	O
President	O
Barham	O
Salih	O
was	O
found	O
on	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
potential	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
surveillance	O
targets	O
(	O
however	O
actual	O
targeting	O
-	O
attempted	O
or	O
successful	O
-	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
determined	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
unlawfully	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
Israeli	O
Police	O
to	O
monitor	O
citizens	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
foreign	O
nationals	O
who	O
were	O
accidentally	O
or	O
intentionally	O
infected	O
by	O
the	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
cases	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
used	O
to	O
obtain	O
information	O
unrelated	O
to	O
an	O
ongoing	O
investigation	O
to	O
be	O
used	O
later	O
to	O
pressure	O
the	O
subject	O
of	O
an	O
investigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
cases	O
,	O
police	O
used	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
obtain	O
incriminating	O
information	O
from	O
suspects	O
 '	O
devices	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
concealed	O
the	O
source	O
of	O
the	O
incriminating	O
information	O
claiming	O
it	O
would	O
expose	O
intelligence	O
assets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
that	O
Jordanian	O
lawyer	O
and	O
activist	O
Hala	O
Ahed	O
Deeb	O
's	O
phone	O
was	O
targeted	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mexico	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
country	O
to	O
purchase	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
versions	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
were	O
used	O
to	O
surveil	O
the	O
phone	O
of	O
Joaquín	O
Guzmán	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
El	O
Chapo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
50,000	O
phone	O
numbers	O
of	O
potential	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
surveillance	O
targets	O
(	O
selected	O
by	O
individual	O
client	O
governments	O
)	O
was	O
leaked	O
in	O
2021	O
,	O
a	O
third	O
of	O
them	O
were	O
Mexican	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
Mexican	O
government	O
used	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
send	O
them	O
messages	O
about	O
funeral	O
homes	O
containing	O
links	O
which	O
,	O
when	O
clicked	O
,	O
allowed	O
the	O
government	O
to	O
surreptitiously	O
listen	O
to	O
the	O
investigators	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brito	O
had	O
been	O
reporting	O
on	O
the	O
ties	O
between	O
local	O
politicians	O
and	O
criminal	O
organizations	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
received	O
anonymous	O
death	O
threats	O
during	O
the	O
weeks	O
preceding	O
the	O
assassination	O
;	O
at	O
about	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
,	O
his	O
phone	O
number	O
was	O
selected	O
as	O
a	O
possible	O
target	O
for	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
surveillance	O
by	O
a	O
Mexican	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
client	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
may	O
have	O
been	O
used	O
to	O
ascertain	O
Brito	O
's	O
location	O
to	O
carry	O
out	O
the	O
hit	O
by	O
geolocating	O
his	O
phone	O
;	O
the	O
deployment	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
on	O
his	O
phone	O
could	O
however	O
not	O
be	O
confirmed	O
as	O
his	O
phone	O
disappeared	O
from	O
the	O
scene	O
of	O
the	O
murder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
has	O
been	O
used	O
by	O
drug	O
cartels	O
and	O
cartel-entwined	O
government	O
actors	O
to	O
target	O
and	O
intimidate	O
Mexican	O
journalists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
widow	O
of	O
slain	O
renowned	O
Mexican	O
journalist	O
was	O
a	O
target	O
of	O
an	O
attempted	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
attack	O
10	O
days	O
after	O
her	O
husband	O
was	O
assassinated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
two	O
Moroccan	O
pro-democracy	O
campaigners	O
were	O
notified	O
by	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
that	O
their	O
phones	O
had	O
been	O
compromised	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2020	O
,	O
an	O
investigation	O
by	O
Amnesty	O
International	O
alleged	O
that	O
Moroccan	O
journalist	O
Omar	O
Radi	O
was	O
targeted	O
by	O
the	O
Moroccan	O
government	O
using	O
the	O
Israeli	O
spyware	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Algerian	O
government	O
subsequently	O
severed	O
diplomatic	O
relations	O
with	O
Morocco	O
in	O
August	O
2021	O
,	O
citing	O
alleged	O
Moroccan	O
deployment	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
against	O
Algerian	O
officials	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
hostile	O
actions	O
"	O
that	O
undergirded	O
the	O
decision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
was	O
used	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
Ridouan	O
Taghi	O
,	O
a	O
high	O
profile	O
criminal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
equipment	O
was	O
subsequently	O
widely	O
used	O
for	O
illicit	O
domestic	O
and	O
foreign	O
spying	O
,	O
including	O
for	O
spying	O
on	O
political	O
opponents	O
,	O
magistrates	O
,	O
union	O
leaders	O
,	O
and	O
business	O
competitors	O
,	O
with	O
Martinelli	O
allegedly	O
going	O
so	O
far	O
as	O
to	O
order	O
the	O
surveillance	O
of	O
his	O
mistress	O
using	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mobile	O
phones	O
of	O
six	O
Palestinian	O
activists	O
were	O
hacked	O
using	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
with	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
attacks	O
reportedly	O
occurring	O
as	O
far	O
back	O
as	O
July	O
2020	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
report	O
from	O
Front	O
Line	O
Defenders	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salah	O
Hammouri	O
,	O
a	O
French-Palestinian	O
human	O
rights	O
defender	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
victims	O
six	O
victims	O
of	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
attack	O
,	O
has	O
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
NSO	O
in	O
France	O
,	O
accusing	O
the	O
company	O
of	O
a	O
privacy	O
rights	O
violation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
licenses	O
were	O
agreed	O
on	O
between	O
Benjamin	O
Netanyahu	O
and	O
Beata	O
Szydło	O
in	O
July	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citizen	O
Lab	O
revealed	O
that	O
several	O
members	O
of	O
political	O
opposition	O
groups	O
in	O
Poland	O
were	O
hacked	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
,	O
raising	O
alarming	O
questions	O
about	O
the	O
Polish	O
government	O
's	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2021	O
,	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
announced	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
used	O
against	O
lawyer	O
Roman	O
Giertych	O
and	O
prosecutor	O
Ewa	O
Wrzosek	O
,	O
both	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
ruling	O
Law	O
and	O
Justice	O
(	O
PiS	O
)	O
government	O
,	O
with	O
Giertych	O
's	O
phone	O
suffering	O
18	O
intrusions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
Supreme	O
Audit	O
Office	O
(	O
NIK	O
)	O
,	O
544	O
of	O
its	O
employees	O
 '	O
devices	O
were	O
under	O
surveillance	O
over	O
7,300	O
times	O
,	O
some	O
could	O
be	O
infected	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Political	O
activists	O
in	O
Rwanda	O
have	O
been	O
targeted	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
,	O
including	O
the	O
daughter	O
and	O
the	O
nephew	O
of	O
Paul	O
Rusesabagina	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
deployed	O
a	O
zero-click	O
iMessage	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
exploit	O
against	O
two	O
London-based	O
reporters	O
and	O
36	O
journalists	O
at	O
the	O
Al	O
Jazeera	O
television	O
network	O
in	O
Qatar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
used	O
by	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
Jamal	O
Kashoggi	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
later	O
killed	O
in	O
Turkey	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citizen	O
Lab	O
's	O
October	O
report	O
stated	O
with	O
high	O
confidence	O
that	O
NSO	O
's	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
had	O
been	O
placed	O
on	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Device
of	O
Saudi	O
dissident	O
Omar	O
Abdulaziz	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
Khashoggi	O
's	O
confidantes	O
,	O
months	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2018	O
,	O
a	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
investigation	O
concluded	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
software	O
played	O
a	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
Khashoggi	O
's	O
murder	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
friend	O
of	O
Khashoggi	O
stating	O
in	O
a	O
filing	O
that	O
Saudi	O
authorities	O
had	O
used	O
the	O
Israeli-made	O
software	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
the	O
dissident	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NSO	O
CEO	O
Shalev	O
Hulio	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
had	O
not	O
been	O
involved	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
terrible	O
murder	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
declined	O
to	O
comment	O
on	O
reports	O
that	O
he	O
had	O
personally	O
traveled	O
to	O
the	O
Saudi	O
capital	O
Riyadh	O
for	O
a	O
$55	O
million	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
sale	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
wife	O
of	O
Jamal	O
Khashoggi	O
,	O
Hanan	O
Elatr	O
,	O
intended	O
to	O
sue	O
the	O
NSO	O
Group	O
,	O
alleging	O
that	O
she	O
was	O
targeted	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
was	O
also	O
used	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
Jeff	O
Bezos	O
after	O
Mohammed	O
bin	O
Salman	O
,	O
the	O
crown-prince	O
of	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
,	O
exchanged	O
messages	O
with	O
him	O
that	O
exploited	O
then-unknown	O
vulnerabilities	O
in	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
correspondent	O
covering	O
the	O
Middle	O
East	O
,	O
Ben	O
Hubbard	O
revealed	O
in	O
October	O
2021	O
that	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
used	O
the	O
NSO	O
Group	O
's	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
software	O
to	O
hack	O
into	O
his	O
phone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Saudis	O
attempted	O
to	O
peek	O
into	O
Hubbard	O
's	O
personal	O
information	O
twice	O
in	O
2018	O
,	O
one	O
through	O
a	O
suspicious	O
text	O
message	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
through	O
an	O
Arabic	O
WhatsApp	B-Application
message	O
inviting	O
him	O
to	O
a	O
protest	O
at	O
a	O
Saudi	O
embassy	O
in	O
Washington	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lastly	O
,	O
on	O
June	O
13	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
an	O
iPhone	B-Device
belonging	O
to	O
Hubbard	O
was	O
successfully	O
hacked	O
using	O
the	O
FORCEDENTRY	B-Application
exploit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Citizen	O
Lab	O
said	O
in	O
“	O
high	O
confidence	O
”	O
that	O
the	O
four	O
attacks	O
were	O
attempted	O
using	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
Saudi	O
exile	O
Omar	O
Abdulaziz	O
in	O
Canada	O
was	O
identified	O
by	O
McKinsey	O
&	O
Company	O
as	O
being	O
an	O
influential	O
dissident	O
,	O
and	O
hence	O
had	O
two	O
brothers	O
imprisoned	O
by	O
the	O
Saudi	O
authorities	O
,	O
and	O
his	O
cell	O
phone	O
hacked	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2018	O
,	O
a	O
Saudi	O
satirist	O
,	O
Ghanem	O
Almasarir	O
,	O
was	O
targeted	O
by	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2022	O
,	O
a	O
British	O
judge	O
ruled	O
that	O
the	O
prominent	O
dissident	O
in	O
London	O
can	O
sue	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
for	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
hacking	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
South	O
African	O
president	O
Cyril	O
Ramaphosa	O
was	O
revealed	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
selected	O
as	O
a	O
potential	O
target	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
surveillance	O
,	O
possibly	O
by	O
the	O
Rwandan	O
state	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
an	O
investigation	O
by	O
The	O
Guardian	O
and	O
El	O
País	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
software	O
was	O
used	O
by	O
the	O
government	O
of	O
Spain	O
to	O
compromise	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
several	O
politicians	O
active	O
in	O
the	O
Catalan	O
independence	O
movement	O
,	O
including	O
President	O
of	O
the	O
Parliament	O
of	O
Catalonia	O
Roger	O
Torrent	O
,	O
and	O
former	O
member	O
of	O
the	O
Parliament	O
of	O
Catalonia	O
Anna	O
Gabriel	O
i	O
Sabaté	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
scandal	O
resurfaced	O
in	O
April	O
2022	O
following	O
the	O
publication	O
of	O
a	O
report	O
of	O
a	O
CitizenLab	O
investigation	O
that	O
revealed	O
widespread	O
use	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
against	O
Catalan	O
politicians	O
and	O
citizens	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Basque	O
politician	O
Arnaldo	O
Otegi	O
and	O
MP	O
Jon	O
Iñarritu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
true	O
extent	O
of	O
the	O
targeting	O
was	O
potentially	O
far	O
larger	O
as	O
Android	B-Application
devices	O
are	O
far	O
more	O
common	O
in	O
Spain	O
while	O
CitizenLab	O
tools	O
are	O
specialised	O
to	O
uncover	O
infiltration	O
of	O
Apple	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2022	O
,	O
the	O
Spanish	O
Government	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
smartphones	O
of	O
Prime	O
Minister	O
Pedro	O
Sánchez	O
and	O
Defense	O
Minister	O
Margarita	O
Robles	O
had	O
been	O
targeted	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
in	O
May	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
spokesperson	O
for	O
the	O
Ministry	O
of	O
Digital	O
Economy	O
and	O
Society	O
stated	O
his	O
ministry	O
was	O
not	O
aware	O
of	O
any	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
usage	O
by	O
the	O
government	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Senior	O
advisers	O
of	O
the	O
Dalai	O
Lama	O
(	O
who	O
does	O
not	O
carry	O
a	O
personal	O
phone	O
himself	O
)	O
,	O
Tibet	O
's	O
president-in-exile	O
,	O
staff	O
of	O
a	O
prominent	O
Tibetan	O
Buddhist	O
spiritual	O
leader	O
Gyalwang	O
Karmapa	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
several	O
other	O
Tibetan	O
activists	O
and	O
clerics	O
-	O
all	O
of	O
whom	O
are	O
living	O
in	O
exile	O
in	O
India	O
-	O
were	O
selected	O
for	O
potential	O
targeting	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
,	O
likely	O
by	O
the	O
Indian	O
government	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
joint	O
investigation	O
by	O
The	O
Guardian	O
and	O
Le	O
Monde	O
alleged	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
software	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
six	O
critics	O
of	O
the	O
government	O
in	O
Togo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
been	O
reported	O
that	O
Muhoozi	O
Kainerugaba	O
brokered	O
a	O
deal	O
to	O
use	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
in	O
Uganda	O
,	O
paying	O
between	O
$10	O
and	O
$20	O
million	O
in	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
least	O
since	O
2019	O
,	O
Ukraine	O
had	O
sought	O
to	O
obtain	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
in	O
its	O
effort	O
to	O
counter	O
what	O
it	O
saw	O
as	O
an	O
increasing	O
threat	O
of	O
Russian	O
aggression	O
and	O
espionage	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
Israel	O
had	O
imposed	O
a	O
near-total	O
ban	O
on	O
weapons	O
sales	O
to	O
Ukraine	O
(	O
which	O
also	O
encompassed	O
cyberespionage	O
tools	O
)	O
,	O
wary	O
of	O
selling	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
states	O
that	O
would	O
use	O
the	O
tool	O
against	O
Russia	O
so	O
as	O
not	O
to	O
damage	O
relations	O
with	O
Russia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2021	O
,	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
when	O
Russian	O
troops	O
were	O
amassing	O
on	O
the	O
Ukrainian	O
border	O
,	O
Israel	O
again	O
rebuffed	O
a	O
request	O
from	O
a	O
Ukrainian	O
delegation	O
asking	O
to	O
obtain	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
;	O
according	O
to	O
a	O
Ukrainian	O
official	O
familiar	O
with	O
the	O
matter	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
could	O
have	O
provided	O
critical	O
support	O
in	O
Ukraine	O
's	O
effort	O
to	O
monitor	O
Russian	O
military	O
activity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Saudi	O
Arabia	O
and	O
the	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
deployed	O
a	O
zero-click	O
iMessage	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
exploit	O
against	O
two	O
London-based	O
reporters	O
and	O
36	O
journalists	O
at	O
the	O
Al	O
Jazeera	O
television	O
network	O
in	O
Qatar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
used	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
spy	O
on	O
the	O
members	O
of	O
Saudi-backed	O
Yemeni	O
government	O
according	O
to	O
an	O
investigation	O
published	O
in	O
July	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
24	O
September	O
2021	O
,	O
The	O
Guardian	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
telephone	O
of	O
Alaa	O
al-Siddiq	O
,	O
executive	O
director	O
of	O
ALQST	O
,	O
who	O
died	O
in	O
a	O
car	O
accident	O
in	O
London	O
on	O
20	O
June	O
2021	O
,	O
was	O
infected	O
with	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
for	O
5	O
years	O
until	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
case	O
represented	O
a	O
worrying	O
trend	O
for	O
activists	O
and	O
dissidents	O
,	O
who	O
escaped	O
the	O
UAE	O
to	O
live	O
in	O
the	O
relative	O
safety	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
never	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
reach	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
British	O
High	O
Court	O
ruled	O
that	O
agents	O
of	O
Mohammed	O
bin	O
Rashid	O
Al	O
Maktoum	O
used	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
hack	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
his	O
(	O
ex	O
)	O
-wife	O
,	O
Princess	O
Haya	O
bint	O
Hussein	O
,	O
her	O
solicitors	O
(	O
including	O
baroness	O
Fiona	O
Shackleton	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
personal	O
assistant	O
and	O
two	O
members	O
of	O
her	O
security	O
team	O
in	O
the	O
summer	O
of	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
7	O
October	O
2021	O
,	O
the	O
NSO	O
Group	O
stated	O
that	O
it	O
had	O
terminated	O
its	O
contract	O
with	O
the	O
UAE	O
to	O
use	O
its	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
tool	O
after	O
the	O
ruling	O
by	O
UK	O
’s	O
High	O
Court	O
that	O
Dubai	O
’s	O
ruler	O
misused	O
the	O
firm	O
’s	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
software	O
to	O
spy	O
on	O
his	O
ex-wife	O
and	O
her	O
legal	O
advisers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Journalists	O
,	O
human	O
rights	O
defenders	O
and	O
the	O
women	O
of	O
Dubai	O
’s	O
royal	O
family	O
were	O
traced	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
hacked	O
using	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
during	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
report	O
by	O
the	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
revealed	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
linked	O
to	O
an	O
Emirati	O
operative	O
was	O
used	O
to	O
hack	O
into	O
the	O
phones	O
at	O
the	O
Downing	O
Street	O
and	O
the	O
Foreign	O
Office	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2022	O
,	O
Citizen	O
Lab	O
released	O
a	O
report	O
stating	O
that	O
10	O
Downing	O
Street	O
staff	O
had	O
been	O
targeted	O
by	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
was	O
suspected	O
of	O
originating	O
the	O
attacks	O
in	O
2020	O
and	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2016	O
,	O
NSO	O
Group	O
(	O
through	O
its	O
U.S.	O
subsidiary	O
Westbridge	O
)	O
pitched	O
its	O
U.S.	O
version	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
to	O
the	O
San	O
Diego	O
Police	O
Department	O
(	O
SDPD	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
phone	O
numbers	O
of	O
about	O
a	O
dozen	O
U.S.	O
citizens	O
-	O
including	O
diplomats	O
,	O
journalists	O
,	O
aid	O
workers	O
,	O
and	O
dissident	O
expatriates	O
-	O
were	O
on	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
prospective	O
targets	O
for	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
infiltration	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
not	O
known	O
whether	O
an	O
attack	O
was	O
ever	O
attempted	O
or	O
completed	O
against	O
any	O
of	O
their	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
the	O
phone	O
numbers	O
discovered	O
on	O
the	O
list	O
were	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
Biden	O
administration	O
's	O
chief	O
negotiator	O
of	O
the	O
Joint	O
Comprehensive	O
Plan	O
of	O
Action	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
those	O
of	O
several	O
United	O
Nations	O
diplomats	O
residing	O
in	O
the	O
U.S.	O
NSO	O
Group	O
has	O
said	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
is	O
not	O
deployed	O
against	O
any	O
device	O
located	O
within	O
the	O
territory	O
of	O
the	O
U.S.	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
been	O
suggested	O
that	O
U.S.	O
citizens	O
can	O
become	O
targets	O
when	O
abroad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2021	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
was	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
preceding	O
months	O
on	O
the	O
iPhones	B-Device
of	O
at	O
least	O
nine	O
U.S.	O
State	O
Department	O
employees	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
whom	O
were	O
either	O
stationed	O
in	O
Uganda	O
or	O
worked	O
on	O
matters	O
related	O
to	O
Uganda	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
the	O
same	O
month	O
,	O
AP	O
reported	O
that	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
11	O
U.S.	O
State	O
Department	O
employees	O
stationed	O
in	O
Uganda	O
had	O
their	O
iPhones	B-Device
hacked	O
with	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2022	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
the	O
Federal	O
Bureau	O
of	O
Investigation	O
had	O
secretly	O
bought	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
in	O
2019	O
and	O
had	O
seen	O
a	O
demonstration	O
of	O
Phantom	O
,	O
a	O
newer	O
tool	O
capable	O
of	O
targeting	O
American	O
phone	O
numbers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
despite	O
the	O
2021	O
decision	O
rejecting	O
use	O
of	O
NSO	O
software	O
,	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
equipment	O
is	O
still	O
in	O
the	O
FBI	O
's	O
possession	O
at	O
a	O
New	O
Jersey	O
facility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Responding	O
to	O
the	O
reports	O
,	O
FBI	O
officials	O
played	O
down	O
the	O
domestic	O
surveillance	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
testing	O
,	O
instead	O
stressing	O
counter-intelligence	O
as	O
their	O
purported	O
main	O
goal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
document	O
later	O
obtained	O
by	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
clearly	O
showed	O
that	O
the	O
agency	O
weighed	O
using	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
and	O
Phantom	O
in	O
domestic	O
law	O
enforcement	O
cases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
L3Harris	O
,	O
a	O
U.S.	O
defense	O
contractor	O
,	O
was	O
in	O
talks	O
to	O
acquire	O
NSO	O
Group	O
,	O
the	O
maker	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jendoubi	O
's	O
mobile	O
number	O
was	O
also	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
leaked	O
database	O
of	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
Project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
commission	O
learned	O
of	O
this	O
after	O
Apple	O
notified	O
thousands	O
of	O
iPhone	B-Device
users	O
in	O
November	O
2021	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
targeted	O
by	O
state-sponsored	O
hackers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
shared	O
the	O
information	O
with	O
seventeen	O
news	O
media	O
organisations	O
in	O
what	O
has	O
been	O
called	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
Project	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
months-long	O
investigation	O
was	O
carried	O
out	O
,	O
which	O
reported	O
from	O
mid-July	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Pegasus	B-Algorithm
Project	O
involved	O
80	O
journalists	O
from	O
the	O
media	O
partners	O
including	O
The	O
Guardian	O
(	O
UK	O
)	O
,	O
Radio	O
France	O
and	O
Le	O
Monde	O
(	O
France	O
)	O
,	O
Die	O
Zeit	O
and	O
Süddeutsche	O
Zeitung	O
(	O
Germany	O
)	O
,	O
The	O
Washington	O
Post	O
(	O
United	O
States	O
)	O
,	O
Haaretz	O
(	O
Israel	O
)	O
,	O
Aristegui	O
Noticias	O
,	O
Proceso	O
(	O
Mexico	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Organized	O
Crime	O
and	O
Corruption	O
Reporting	O
Project	O
,	O
Knack	O
,	O
Le	O
Soir	O
,	O
The	O
Wire	O
,	O
Daraj	O
,	O
Direkt36	O
(	O
Hungary	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Frontline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Evidence	O
was	O
found	O
that	O
many	O
phones	O
with	O
numbers	O
in	O
the	O
list	O
had	O
been	O
targets	O
of	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
French	O
intelligence	O
(	O
ANSSI	O
)	O
confirmed	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
had	O
been	O
found	O
on	O
the	O
phones	O
of	O
three	O
journalists	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
journalist	O
of	O
France	O
24	O
,	O
in	O
what	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
an	O
independent	O
and	O
official	O
authority	O
corroborated	O
the	O
findings	O
of	O
the	O
investigation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
a	O
joint	O
investigation	O
conducted	O
by	O
seventeen	O
media	O
organisations	O
,	O
revealed	O
that	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
was	O
used	O
to	O
target	O
and	O
spy	O
on	O
heads	O
of	O
state	O
,	O
activists	O
,	O
journalists	O
,	O
and	O
dissidents	O
,	O
enabling	O
"	O
human	O
rights	O
violations	O
around	O
the	O
world	O
on	O
a	O
massive	O
scale	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
investigation	O
also	O
revealed	O
that	O
journalists	O
from	O
multiple	O
media	O
organizations	O
including	O
Al	O
Jazeera	O
,	O
CNN	B-Architecture
,	O
the	O
Financial	O
Times	O
,	O
the	O
Associated	O
Press	O
,	O
The	O
New	O
York	O
Times	O
,	O
The	O
Wall	O
Street	O
Journal	O
,	O
Bloomberg	O
News	O
and	O
Le	O
Monde	O
were	O
targeted	O
,	O
and	O
identified	O
at	O
least	O
180	O
journalists	O
from	O
20	O
countries	O
who	O
were	O
selected	O
for	O
targeting	O
with	O
NSO	O
spyware	O
between	O
2016	O
and	O
June	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Russell	O
Brandom	O
of	O
The	O
Verge	O
commented	O
that	O
the	O
reward	O
offered	O
in	O
Apple	O
's	O
bug-bounty	O
program	O
maxes	O
out	O
at	O
$200	O
,	O
000	O
,	O
"	O
just	O
a	O
fraction	O
of	O
the	O
millions	O
that	O
are	O
regularly	O
spent	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
exploits	O
on	O
the	O
black	O
market	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
writes	O
that	O
"	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
[	O
the	O
Pegasus ]	O
vulnerabilities	O
were	O
reported	O
,	O
Apple	O
patched	O
them	O
—	O
but	O
there	O
are	O
plenty	O
of	O
other	O
bugs	O
left	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
17	O
,	O
2023	O
,	O
a	O
book	O
about	O
the	O
Pegasus	B-Application
spyware	I-Application
by	O
investigative	O
journalists	O
,	O
Laurent	O
Richards	O
and	O
Sandrine	O
Rigaud	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
.	O
</s>
