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Updated December 4th, 2021 at 15:23 IST

Israel NSO group used Pegasus spyware to hack US govt officials' phones in Uganda: Report

The phones of at least 11 United States State Department employees were hacked with the world’s most infamous hacker-for-hire company, Israel-based NSO Group

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
NSO Group
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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The phones of at least 11 United States State Department employees were hacked with the world’s most infamous hacker-for-hire company, the Israel-based NSO Group, stated The Associated Press citing its source. The person familiar with the matter revealed to the news agency on Friday that all employees were located in Uganda, Africa and even included some foreign service officers. It is pertinent to note that some local Ugandan employees of the department also appeared to have been among the 11 officials whose phones were hacked.

The hacking revelation by AP’s source is also the first known instance of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware being used against the American government officials. However, it was not immediately known what individual or entity used the NSO technology to hack into the phones of 11 officials, or what information did they seek. In a briefing on Friday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki had said that the US President Joe Biden administration has been “acutely concerned” over NSO Group posing a security risk to the officials. 

“We have been acutely concerned that commercial spyware like NSO Group software poses a serious counterintelligence and security risk to U.S. personnel,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Apple blocked NSO Group

The reports statting hacks by NSO Group emerged a month after the United States Commerce Department blacklisted NSO Group. Additionally, just last week, American multinational technology company Apple Inc announced that it is suing Israel’s NSO Group allegedly for hacking its phones without the consent of hundreds of users. The firm also said that it is seeking to block the Israeli group from targeting the one billion iPhones that are presently in circulation.

"To prevent further abuse and harm to its users, Apple is also seeking a permanent injunction to ban NSO Group from using any Apple software, services, or devices," Apple said in a statement released in a blog. The US-tech giant even said that the researchers and journalists have publicly documented the history of NSO Group being abused to target other personnel such as activists. It is pertinent to note that the US State Department employees were hacked on their iPhones.

As per AP, when NSO Group was asked about the Ugandan phones, the Israel-based company said, “We immediately shut down all the customers potentially relevant to this case” without mentioning the customers. The company has also claimed that its spying technology is barred from hacking phones based in the US and is sold to licenced customers only. 

(IMAGE: AP)

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Published December 4th, 2021 at 15:23 IST

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