Pegasus Spyware Spotted On iPhone With Zero-Click iMessage Exploit: Everything You Need To know

Pegasus spyware, which can infiltrate both iOS and Android devices, is once again doing rounds in India. Pegasus spyware is believed to be one of the most sophisticated spyware out there. In recent news, the latest iPhone with iOS 14 was revealed to vulnerability with a zero-click iMessage exploit related to Pegasus spyware.

What Is Pegasus Spyware?

Before diving into the recent news, let's first understand what Pegasus is. The spyware software was developed by NSO Group, a company based out of Israel. The software is used to snoop on people can exploit it on both Android devices and iPhones. Originally, the government licensed the spyware to check on terrorists and other anti-national suspects.

However, Pegasus data has leaked previously and it was revealed that NSO Group had allowed backdoor entry for targeted entities. While both Android and iPhone can be used as a target, it's now revealed that Apple's zero-click exploit on iMessage has made installing Pegasus spyware even easier.

Pegasus Spyware With Zero-Click iMessage

The report comes from a detailed operation conducted by Amnesty International, which unearthed the leaked database in collaboration with Pegasus Project. The detailed forensic analysis of several mobile phones of human rights defenders, journalists, and other important personalities worldwide revealed it had the Pegasus software.

Going into the details, the leaked database reveals iPhones running iOS 14.6 contain zero-click iMessage exploit, which is an easy way to install Pegasus spyware. Previously, Citizen Labs discovered this exploit and Apple released an urgent software patch. However, the exploit is once again come into the limelight.

Pegasus Spyware India: How Are We Affected?

The latest discovery has revealed several prominent personalities on the list of Pegasus spyware. This includes human rights activists, journalists, high-profile personalities, and even ministers. This has further revealed that Pegasus spyware surveillance software is a violation of user privacy goes against human rights.

What becomes of the Pegasus spyware is uncertain yet. WhatsApp and other developers have backlashed NSO Group for providing tools like Pegasus that compromise privacy severely. Apple is once again expected to release a security patch with the required update. However, it remains to see if it'll be enough to protect citizens from phone snooping and tapping.