The Spy in Your Phone | Al Jazeera World
Al Jazeera English・2 minutes read
Al Jazeera's investigation uncovered the use of Israel's Pegasus spyware by the UAE and Saudi Arabia to hack phones, with Citizen Lab tracking the spyware's origin and infiltration methods. The film accused the UAE of involvement in phone hacking using Pegasus spyware, raising concerns about human rights violations and the need for legal action to address government hacking activities.
Insights
- Pegasus spyware, developed by NSO Group in Israel, is a sophisticated tool that can hack phones without user interaction, allowing access to calls, messages, and complete control over phone functions, raising significant ethical concerns.
- The collaboration between Israeli and Emirati entities, such as Dark Matter, in utilizing Pegasus spyware for cyber operations against journalists and activists, underscores the international implications of state-sponsored hacking, prompting legal actions and investigations to address potential human rights violations and the urgent need for cybersecurity regulation.
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Recent questions
What is Pegasus spyware?
A tool for hacking phones, developed by NSO Group.
How does Pegasus spyware infiltrate phones?
Through links with specific redirects to identify origin.
Who developed Pegasus spyware?
NSO Group, an Israeli company.
What sparked the investigation into Pegasus spyware?
Hacking of Al Jazeera Arabic's mobile phone.
What are the ethical concerns surrounding Pegasus spyware?
Targeting activists, journalists, and politicians.
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Summary
00:00
"Pegasus Spyware: Hacking Phones, Raising Concerns"
- In mid-2020, Al Jazeera Arabic's mobile phone was hacked, leading to an investigation with Citizen Lab.
- Israel manufactures Pegasus, advanced spyware used by various governments since 2016.
- Citizen Lab, with Al Jazeera's Tamar Amisha, tracked Pegasus spyware through a complex technical process.
- Ahmed Mansour's phone hack led to his arrest, exposing Pegasus spyware and NSO Group's involvement.
- Pegasus spyware infiltrates phones through links, with specific redirects to identify its origin.
- NSO Group, based in Israel, developed Pegasus spyware, a product used for hacking mobile phones.
- Pegasus spyware can spy on calls, messages, and control phone functions, using expensive exploits.
- Pegasus supply costs millions, targeting activists, journalists, and politicians, raising ethical concerns.
- Pegasus spyware can hack phones without user interaction, accessing all phone functions and data.
- Al Jazeera's investigation revealed a widespread hacking campaign targeting multiple journalists' phones.
20:48
Israeli Pegasus Spyware Used in UAE
- Citizen Lab's technical report reveals that Israel's Pegasus spyware was used to infiltrate phones in the UAE and Saudi Arabia by examining links and accounts.
- The hacking of phones was primarily conducted in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the main users of this Israeli technology in the region.
- Infections within Al Jazeera were traced back to two operators: Monarchy, focusing on Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and Sneaky Kestrel, targeting the UAE and Qatar.
- Reports suggest Saudi Arabia and the UAE spent hundreds of millions of US dollars on purchasing Pegasus spyware from Israel.
- Following a US-brokered normalization deal between the UAE and Israel in November 2020, Israeli-Emirati cyber cooperation significantly increased.
- Dark Matter, an Emirati company, is a key player in the UAE cybersecurity market, employing former NSA and CIA officials for offensive operations.
- Dark Matter's offensive operations included hacking any device in the UAE, with former US intelligence officials involved in compromising computers of political dissidents.
- Dark Matter's headquarters in Abu Dhabi was reported to have attempted to hack the Intercept website, involving ex-NSA hackers and military veterans.
- Dark Matter was identified as the main operator of Israeli Pegasus spyware in the UAE, employing American and Israeli officers in various locations.
- Efforts to defend against Pegasus-associated cyber crimes have been led by organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, documenting increased targeting of journalists and activists.
44:07
UAE accused of phone hacking in film
- The film accused the United Arab Emirates of involvement in phone hacking, prompting a lack of response from them and raising questions about the relationship between the Ministry of Defense and NSO, suggesting potential breaches of international human rights standards in approving exports. This highlights the vulnerability of smartphones to hacking by governments and the need for legal action against such breaches, with ongoing legal processes in Israel, Cyprus, and the UK revealing the extent of this issue.
