According to documents released by news agency Reuters access, several members of the European Commission were targeted by the Israeli spy software Pegasus. Among them also European Commissioner Didier Reynders (MR).
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Thanks to a warning from tech giant Apple in November, the European Commission learned that thousands of iPhone owners were being spied on. The various warnings immediately raised concerns in the Commission, two European Commissioners said Reuters.
The news agency was able to view an internal email that was sent to members of the Commission on November 26. It turned out that it concerned the Israeli spy software Pegasus. “You are a potential target given the nature of your responsibilities,” the email read Reuters.
Reuters could not find out who was using the Israeli spyware to target Reynders and his colleagues in Brussels, whether the attempts were successful and – if so – what the hackers got as a result. But in addition to Reynders, at least four other European Commission employees were targeted by the spyware.
Reynders and his spokesman David Marechal have not responded to repeated messages. European Commission spokesman Johannes Bahrke declined to comment. Apple also did not answer the question of Reuters.
Full control
Security experts have said the affected commissioners were targeted by ForcedEntry, NSO Group’s advanced software used to put the Pegasus spyware on the device.
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NSO Group is also the maker of Pegasus. That software can be used to eavesdrop on smartphones, both iPhones and Android devices, or to take full control of a device. NSO says it only sells the software to government agencies in countries with a good human rights record, and with the intention of tracking down terrorists and child abusers. But earlier this year, Amnesty International and the Citizen Lab organization revealed that the software had been found on the smartphones of journalists and human rights activists.
The company said in a statement it was not responsible for the hacking attempts.
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