Ethical Hacking News
The dark web of espionage has been exposed through a shocking revelation by Citizen Lab. A former MEP was hacked with Pegasus spyware while investigating its use, highlighting the serious threat that mercenary spyware poses to democratic processes. The incident reveals the pervasiveness of Pegasus spyware in the digital world and underscores the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect individuals and organizations from sophisticated cyber threats.
A Member of the European Parliament (MEP) was infected with Pegasus spyware while investigating its use. The infection occurred on two occasions, October 21, 2022, and March 6 and 7, 2023, during periods of intense PEGA activity. Citizen Lab found that the attackers could have accessed confidential documents and committee deliberations. The attack was likely carried out by NSO Group, linked to the same operator as prior infections of Russian and Belarusian-speaking journalists and activists. The incident highlights the threat of mercenary spyware to democratic processes and calls for increased cybersecurity measures.
Pegasus spyware, a sophisticated form of cyber espionage, has been used against a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) who was investigating its use, according to a report by Citizen Lab. This shocking revelation highlights the dark side of cybersecurity and the pervasiveness of Pegasus spyware in the digital world.
The investigation began when Stelios Kouloglou, a former MEP, reported being infected with Pegasus spyware while serving on the PEGA Committee, which aimed to investigate Pegasus abuses across the EU. The infections occurred on October 21, 2022, and again on March 6 and 7, 2023, both during periods of intense PEGA activity.
Citizen Lab analyzed Kouloglou's device and found that the attackers could have had access to confidential documents and committee deliberations. The delivery mechanism for the first infection was PWNYOURHOME, a zero-click exploit targeting Apple's HomeKit system. This exploit allowed the attackers to infect Kouloglou's phone without any interaction from him.
The report also revealed that the same HomeKit email address used against Kouloglou in 2022 appeared in a prior Citizen Lab investigation into Pegasus infections of Russian and Belarusian-speaking journalists and activists living in Europe. This indicates that the attack was likely carried out by the same operator, which has been linked to the NSO Group.
The PEGA Committee's efforts to investigate and address the issue of Pegasus spyware were compromised when one of its members was hacked with the very same tool they were investigating. The report concludes that this finding highlights the serious threat that mercenary spyware poses to the integrity of democratic processes.
Citizen Lab is now calling on the European Parliament to investigate the full scope of spyware targeting during the PEGA proceedings and urging DG ITEC, which already offers optional spyware screening for MEPs, to significantly increase screening rates and publish yearly statistics.
This scandal exposes the dark web of espionage and highlights the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect individuals and organizations from sophisticated cyber threats. The use of Pegasus spyware against a MEP who was investigating its use is a stark reminder that no one is immune to these types of attacks, and it underscores the importance of vigilance and cooperation in the fight against cybercrime.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Dark-Web-of-Espionage-The-Pegasus-Spyware-Scandal-Exposed-ehn.shtml
https://securityaffairs.com/194728/malware/pegasus-used-against-mep-investigating-pegasus-citizen-lab-finds.html
Published: Fri Jul 3 17:04:03 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
