A journalist linked to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in India was the target of an attempted spyware installation on their iPhone in August.
This attempt was identified by an analysis that detected the infiltration on August 23, according to Drew Sullivan, the co-founder of OCCRP. The journalist, Anand Mangnale, received an alert from Apple along with several other individuals in India, warning them about being targeted by “state-sponsored” hackers trying to access their iPhones remotely.
Shocking:
IPhone sending security alerts of state sponsored attack to their users
Till now, the following Indian Politicians have received warning from their iPhones:
-Mahua Moitra
-Akhilesh Yadav,
-Raghav Chadha,
-Shashi Tharoor,
– Pawan khera,
-Priyanka Chaturvedi,… pic.twitter.com/Hq9gxoRZdN— Ashish 𝕏|…. (@Ashishtoots) October 31, 2023
The alerts issued by Apple did not specify the government behind the hacks or the particular spyware used.
An internal investigation by OCCRP linked the attempt to breach Mangnale’s phone to NSO’s Pegasus hacking tool, which enables hackers to gain extensive access to smartphones, allowing them to record calls, intercept messages, and essentially turn the phones into listening devices.
Sullivan expressed deep concern, calling the use of this tool on Mangnale’s phone “unacceptable and outrageous.” He emphasized that there’s no justifiable reason for any government to spy on journalists, except for political gain.
OCCRP, known for its investigative work exposing corruption and organized crime, strongly condemned this intrusion.
Anand Mangnale, who reports on corporate fraud and government corruption, was not immediately available for comment.
Forensic analysis conducted by an anti-phone-hacking firm named iVerify for OCCRP on Mangnale’s device identified a series of suspicious crashes that matched known Pegasus intrusions. iVerify’s co-founder, Rocky Cole, stated with high confidence that the phone was targeted with Pegasus.
In response, the NSO Group mentioned a pattern of organizations taking their allegations to the media without conclusive findings but did not specifically address OCCRP’s claims.
Various experts, journalists, and human rights workers have alleged the use of Pegasus in different countries, targeting politicians and journalists.
Apple’s recent alerts were sent to over 20 individuals in India, predominantly opposition politicians, sparking allegations that New Delhi might be using hacking tools against its citizens just months before a national election.
The Indian government denied these allegations, stating they are investigating the hacking complaints. However, the Indian Embassy in Washington and government officials in New Delhi did not respond to requests for comment regarding the hacking incident involving OCCRP’s Indian reporter or the status of the government’s investigation into the hacking alerts.