Security News > 2021 > July > French Launch NSO Probe After Macron Believed Spyware Target

French lawmakers have launched an investigation into Israeli offensive cybersecurity company NSO Group after they learned French President Emmanuel Macron topped a list of 14 heads of states potentially targeted by the company's spyware.

The world leaders were potential targets, according to a list of 50,000 phone numbers believed linked to the NSO Group and leaked to Amnesty International and the Paris-based journalism nonprofit Forbidden Stories.

The extensive list is believed to date back to 2016 and includes people of interest by clients of NSO. On Sunday, a consortium of 17 media partners published a bombshell report shedding light onto what they believe is a systemic and widespread use of the Pegasus spyware by sometimes repressive regimes against human rights activists, political dissidents, journalists and religious and world leaders.

French daily Le Monde, said after it launched its own investigation into the NSO leaked data, it determined that 15 members of the French government may have been among potential targets, along with Macron.

On Wednesday, the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed to the Associated Press it was investigating the suspected widespread use of NSO's Pegasus spyware on French politicians.

According to reports, the NSO Group made use of a zero-click zero-day in Apple's iMessage feature in its Pegasus mobile spyware.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/french-launch-nso-probe-after-macron-believed-spyware-targe/167986/