17/07/2025
Pegasus is a highly sophisticated and dangerous form of spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group. It is designed to be covertly and remotely installed on mobile phones running both iOS (Apple) and Android operating systems.
Here's a breakdown of what makes Pegasus so concerning:
* Zero-Click Exploits: One of its most notorious capabilities is its ability to infect a phone without any interaction from the user (a "zero-click" exploit). This means you don't have to click a suspicious link or download anything for your phone to be compromised. It can be delivered through various means, including phone calls (even if unanswered), push notifications, or messages that exploit vulnerabilities in apps like iMessage or WhatsApp.
* Deep Access and Surveillance: Once installed, Pegasus gains extensive control over the infected device. It can:
* Read text messages and emails
* Snoop on calls
* Collect passwords and login credentials
* Track your location (GPS)
* Access your microphone and camera, turning your phone into a real-time surveillance device
* Harvest information from a wide range of apps, including popular communication platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Gmail, and Skype.
* Stealth and Persistence: Pegasus is designed to be virtually invisible, making it very difficult to detect. It can also self-destruct in an attempt to eliminate evidence if it can't communicate with its command-and-control server or if it's on the wrong device.
* Targeting: While NSO Group claims to sell Pegasus only to governments for fighting crime and terrorism, numerous investigations have revealed its widespread use to surveil journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, lawyers, and even world leaders.
* Difficulty of Removal: Once a phone is infected, it's incredibly difficult to remove Pegasus. A factory reset might be necessary, but even then, some traces could potentially remain, or the device could be re-infected. Specialized tools like Amnesty International's Mobile Verification Toolkit (MVT) have been developed to help detect it.
In essence, Pegasus is a powerful digital weapon that allows attackers to gain complete, covert control over a mobile device, turning it into a personal spying tool.
