Security News > 2022 > June > NSO claims 'more than 5' EU states use Pegasus spyware

NSO Group told European lawmakers this week that "Under 50" customers use its notorious Pegasus spyware, though these customers include "More than five" European Union member states.

Generally speaking, a target selected by an NSO customer has their phone or other device infected with hidden spyware via the exploitation of one or more security vulnerabilities.

While the Pegasus Project reported a list of more than 50,000 phone numbers that had been targeted by the zero-touch spyware, Gelfand told the committee that a more accurate number "In a given year is approximately 12,000 to 13,000 targets."

Once it's deployed, the NSO customer controlling that instance of Pegasus has access to everything on the victim's device, including emails, passwords, and photos.

If a customer violates the terms of its agreement with NSO - we wonder if snooping on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a deal breaker - the vendor says it can remotely shutdown the customer's Pegasus deployment.

Terminating contracts with or outright refusing to sell Pegasus to customers has cost the beleaguered company more than $300 million, Gelfand noted.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2022/06/24/nso_customers_eu_pegasus/