Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

NSO Pegasus spyware can no longer target UK phone numbers

NSO Pegasus spyware can no longer target UK phone numbers

Israeli maker of surveillance software blocked +44 code after discovering hack against Princess Haya, source says
The powerful spyware used to hack into mobile phones belonging to Princess Haya and her divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton is no longer effective against UK numbers, sources familiar with the software’s developer have said.

NSO Group, the Israeli maker of the Pegasus surveillance tool, implemented a change preventing client countries from targeting +44 numbers, the sources said, after it became aware of the British hacking scandal on 5 August last year.

“We shut down completely, hard-coded into the system [Pegasus], to all of our customers. We released a quick update in the middle of the night that none of our customers can work on UK numbers,” the source close to the company added.

The action was taken within hours after NSO discovered that Pegasus had probably been used by Dubai, whose ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum was locked in a child protection battle with Haya, his former wife, to hack into her phone and that of Shackleton and another of her lawyers.

Earlier this week British civil courts concluded on the balance of probabilities that Haya’s phone and those of her advisers and allies had been targeted with surveillance that “occurred with the express or implied authority of the [children’s] father” in what amounted to “a total abuse of trust, and indeed an abuse of power”.

Court rulings indicate that NSO blew the whistle on the hacking late in the evening on 5 August 2020, alerting her principal lawyer, Shackleton, via the company’s ethics adviser, Cherie Blair, at an intense point during the legal battle between the princess and Sheikh Mohammed.

Notably, the company’s alarm came on the exact date an independent computer forensics researcher had spotted that Pegasus was being used against numbers linked to Shackleton’s law firm, Payne Hicks Beach. But the source said the similarity in timing was just chance: “It is a coincidence.”

It is not possible to immediately verify whether NSO’s software has been modified, although those who have studied the misuse of the software said there was no evidence yet of a Pegasus hacking attempt involving a UK number after 5 August last year.

The same source familiar with the company said that Pegasus was also not effective against US numbers – which is believed to have been the case for some time – as well as phones from NSO’s home market, Israel, and “all of the Five Eyes” members, Canada, Australia and New Zealand as well as the UK and the US.

That suggests that Pegasus may still be effective against numbers in other Nato countries in Europe, such as France, which pressed Israel to mount an inquiry into the use of the surveillance software, after it emerged that phone numbers belonging to President Macron and over half his cabinet were on a leaked list of people who were believed to be potential targets of interest to NSO’s government clients since 2016.

Pegasus spyware is sold by NSO to vetted states for use against terrorists and organised criminals. It has the power to covertly take control of a person’s phone, stealing personal data or turning on the microphone to record its surroundings – often just by sending a message to a handset.

An investigation by the Guardian earlier this year discovered that 50,000 phone numbers had appeared on the leaked list. At least 10 countries – including the UAE, of which Dubai is part – were believed to have entered numbers listed.

But there have been repeated criticisms that activists, journalists and lawyers were also being targeted using the technology, with 400 UK numbers appearing in the leaked list having been selected by the UAE.

NSO Group is not understood to have come under direct pressure from the UK to recode its software, although the source familiar with the company’s operations added: “I believe some of the entities know about it” – an apparent reference to British intelligence.

That could explain some of the UK’s muted response to the hacking conclusions reached by the civil courts. A subtle warning about the “legal, responsible and proportionate” use of cyber-surveillance on the part of the Foreign Office has been accompanied by an emphasis on the importance of the UAE as an ally.

MPs and human rights groups have called for an open and transparent government or parliamentary investigation in light of the scandal.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
×