Ethical Hacking News
NSO Group’s Pegasus Spyware Exposed on EU Politicians' Phones: A Scandal That Threatens the Integrity of Parliamentary Work. A forensic analysis by Citizen Lab has revealed that a Greek politician's phone was hacked with Pegasus spyware, raising concerns about national security and democracy.
The use of Pegasus spyware has compromised several EU politicians, including Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek MEP.Kouloglou was investigating the impact of spyware on individuals and organizations, but his phone was hacked multiple times by Pegasus spyware.The incident raises serious concerns about the integrity of parliamentary work and the rule of law in EU institutions.The use of Pegasus spyware poses significant risks to individuals' fundamental rights, including confidentiality requirements and people's privacy.The incident highlights the need for public-private collaboration and policy efforts to comprehensively address misuse of spyware.NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus, did not return comments on the findings.The exposure of Pegasus spyware serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by malicious software to national security and democracy.
The use of spyware has become a growing concern in recent years, with various cases of malicious software being used to compromise individuals and organizations. One such case that has garnered significant attention is the exposure of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware on EU politicians' phones. A forensic analysis conducted by Citizen Lab has revealed that Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek politician who served as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) from 2015 to 2024, had his iPhone hacked with the Pegasus spyware in 2022.
Kouloglou was investigating how intrusive spyware had been used to hack business leaders, law enforcement officials, and politicians. He was part of the European Parliament's PEGA Committee, set up to investigate the use of the notorious Pegasus spyware and other variants. The committee held several hearings on the impact of spyware and how it could interfere with human rights. Members of the committee, including Kouloglou, then visited Cyprus and Greece as part of its investigations.
However, in a shocking turn of events, it was discovered that Kouloglou's phone had been compromised by Pegasus spyware not once, but multiple times. The revelation has raised serious concerns about the integrity of parliamentary work and the rule of law. "It is a direct attack on the rule of law," says one European Parliament member. "The use of spyware not only violates the fundamental rights of the individuals concerned, but in this case also threatens the security and integrity of parliamentary work and of the European Parliament as a whole."
The Citizen Lab report highlights the potential risks of Pegasus spyware being used against EU politicians. The report notes that whoever perpetrated the attacks would have potentially gotten access to internal information about the committee's activities and findings, potentially violating EU parliamentary confidentiality requirements and people's privacy.
NSO Group, the developer of Pegasus, did not return WIRED's requests for comment on the findings. However, the incident has raised questions about the effectiveness of technological protections in addressing the issue of spyware misuse. Researchers emphasize that while the targeting occurred a few years ago, the irony of the episode underscores how endemic—and brazen—spyware targeting has become in the EU and beyond.
The incident also highlights the need for public-private collaboration and concerted policy efforts to comprehensively address misuse of spyware. Technological protections alone cannot address the issue, many concluded. "There is no lack of awareness of the problems that come with mercenary spyware," says one MEP. "That's what the Pegasus Committee wrote the whole report about. There is no lack of recommendations on how to fix it. It's just a matter of, can you please now do it?"
The exposure of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware on EU politicians' phones raises serious concerns about national security and democracy. "Europe has a mountain of spyware abuses, and nothing has happened—it's an embarrassment for European institutions," says John Scott-Railton, a Citizen Lab senior researcher.
In light of these findings, the European Parliament has adopted measures to expand its protections against spyware. However, the incident also highlights the need for further action to be taken. "Europe needs to take this issue seriously and adopt effective legislation to address the misuse of spyware," says one MEP.
The incident has also sparked concerns about the potential risks of Pegasus spyware being used in other contexts, such as elections. "They did not only target an MEP, they spied on the investigation into spyware abuse itself. That shows the whole absurdity of the situation," says Hannah Neumann, a Green MEP who served on the spyware committee.
The exposure of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware on EU politicians' phones serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by malicious software to national security and democracy. It highlights the need for greater awareness and action to address this issue and protect individuals and organizations from the misuse of spyware.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/NSO-Groups-Pegasus-Spyware-Exposed-on-EU-Politicians-Phones-A-Scandal-That-Threatens-the-Integrity-of-Parliamentary-Work-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/eu-politicians-investigated-pegasus-spyware-then-it-ended-up-on-one-of-their-phones/
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_ATA(2023)747923
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2023/747923/EPRS_ATA(2023)747923_EN.pdf
Published: Fri Jul 3 00:51:36 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
