APPLE users are being told to update their devices now to fix a bug that could have let government agencies install spyware.
A report suggests the security flaw could allow the “zero-click” install of the infamous Pegasus spyware.
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According to researchers at Citizen Lab, it’s very likely the bug led to spyware being installed on the phones of journalists, lawyers, and activists.
Apple users are advised that they update to iOS 14.8, macOS Big Sur 116, and watchOS 76.2 as soon as possible.
The warning comes as Apple is expected to launch iOS 15 at an event this evening.
Citizen Lab explained: “While analyzing the phone of a Saudi activist infected with NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, we discovered a zero-day zero-click exploit against iMessage.
“The exploit, which we callFORCEDENTRY, targets Apple’s image rendering library, and was effective against Apple iOS, MacOS and WatchOS devices.”
📱 Read our Apple iPhone 13 event blog for the latest updates
The security experts informed Apple about the findings and the tech giant released a patch on September 13.
What is Pegasus spyware?
Pegasus software is military-grade and can be secretly downloaded onto any smartphone or tablet.
Although it has been around since 2016, a leak recently brought it back to the forefront.
It was designed by Israeli company NSO Group, also called as Q Cyber Technologies.
It can record you using your phone’s camera, listen to your calls, and send messages directly from your phone.
It has been known to attack both Android and Apple devices.
Pegasus was used to install itself on smartphones by inviting victims to click on a link sent to them via email or text.
A new version of the spyware can load on a phone without the user needing to click anything, which is known as a “zero-click” attack.
It can bypass antivirus software detection.
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