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Nearly 90 people in two dozen countries were reportedly targeted by hackers using spyware, according to WhatsApp. The victims included journalists and members of civil society, who were targeted by a hacking tool owned by Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company that specialises in hacking software.
Paragon's spyware is sold to government clients, who use it under the guise of fighting crime and protecting national security. WhatsApp confirmed that the affected users' devices may have been compromised. The WhatsApp official told Reuters it had detected an effort to hack approximately 90 users.
Zero-click hack
What's concerning is that Paragon's spyware uses a "zero-click" hack, meaning that the victims didn't have to click on any malicious links to be infected. Experts explained that a zero-click attack allows hackers to access a target's device without any interaction from the victim. This form of attack highlights the growing risks of spyware and how users can be unknowingly targeted without any action on their part.
The WhatsApp official told Reuters that the users were sent malicious electronic documents that required no user interaction to compromise their targets, a so-called zero-click hack that is considered particularly stealthy.
Hackers targets were journalists and civil society members
According to Reuters, WhatsApp officials declined to say who, specifically, was targeted. But he said those targeted were based in more than two dozen countries, including several people in Europe. However, The Guardian reported that the hackers targets were journalists and members of civil society.
The official said WhatsApp had since disrupted the hacking effort and was referring targets to Canadian internet watchdog group Citizen Lab. The official declined to discuss how it determined that Paragon was responsible for the hack. He said law enforcement and industry partners had been informed but declined to give details. The FBI did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton said the discovery of Paragon spyware targeting WhatsApp users "is a reminder that mercenary spyware continues to proliferate, and as it does, we continue to see familiar patterns of problematic use."