WhatsApp says it caught new spyware attacks linked to NSO Group in violation of court order
Key takeaways
- Whats App said that it disrupted a new hacking campaign linked to NSO Group, a spyware maker that has been ensnared in countless cases of abuse all over the world.
- On Monday, the Meta-owned chat app announced that it “caught and disrupted spear phishing attempts linked to NSO” after an investigation prompted by user reports.
- NSO did not respond to TechCrunch s request for comment.
Whats App said that it disrupted a new hacking campaign linked to NSO Group, a spyware maker that has been ensnared in countless cases of abuse all over the world. The messaging app maker accused NSO of violating an earlier court order that bars the company from targeting Whats App and its users with its spyware, and is seeking to hold NSO in contempt of court.
On Monday, the Meta-owned chat app announced that it “caught and disrupted spear phishing attempts linked to NSO” after an investigation prompted by user reports. “They tried to trick people into clicking on malicious links to drive them to external websites outside of WhatsApp,” the company wrote. “We also caught them creating test accounts and groups on WhatsApp, which we took down.”
WhatsApp said that the attacks were similar to another phishing campaign that relied on users clicking on malicious links, which would then lead to the targets being infected with NSO’s spyware Pegasus, a campaign that was reported in Jordan in 2024.