WhatsApp Hacking Scandal
Introduction
The recent WhatsApp hacking campaign, which targeted nearly 100 journalists and activists, continues to unfold. According to Bloomberg, a collection of Italian media groups has filed a criminal complaint with the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office to uncover who installed the zero-click spyware made by the Israeli-founded Paragon Solutions.
The Complaint
The complaint alleges that the spyware was an "intolerable intrusion into the personal and professional dimension of journalists," putting them and their sources at risk. It claims that those responsible violated Italy’s laws banning the "ilicit installation" of eavesdropping equipment.
The Hack
WhatsApp privately notified the victims of the hack, which reportedly occurred in December and targeted users across Europe. Three Italian victims have come forward, including Francesco Cancellato, a journalist and head of Fanpage.it, and activists Beppe Caccia and Luca Casarini, who work with the charity group Mediterranea Saving Humans. The zero-click hack used malicious PDFs sent to groups on the platform, and WhatsApp has since released a fix to prevent future uses of the exploit.
Investigation and Pressure on the Italian Government
The scandal is putting pressure on Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy party. Earlier this month, the government confirmed that at least seven Italian phones were involved in the campaign, and the National Cybersecurity Agency is investigating. Arturo Di Corinto, a spokesman for the agency, told Bloomberg that the investigation is ongoing.
Government Denial and Speculation
The Italian government has denied involvement in the hacks, but speculation abounds. Last week, Cabinet Minister Luca Ciriani confirmed in parliament that the government had a long-standing contract with Paragon to assist with intelligence and national security-related issues. However, he insisted the law was "rigorously respected." The Guardian reported that Paragon recently suspended a contract with Italy after the spyware attack became public, but Ciriani said the intelligence services contract with Paragon is still active, suggesting there was a second agreement.
Paragon’s Involvement
Israel’s Haaretz reported that Paragon had two contracts with Italy to use its military-grade Graphite software, which WhatsApp has said was used to infect the victims’ devices. Paragon, a professional spyware company, has a policy of only doing business with democratic governments. The company recently entered into a controversial $2 million contract with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department and was acquired in December by American private equity company AE Industrial Partners. Paragon has not yet commented on the hacking.
Recent Developments
The situation continues to unfold, with more information coming to light about Paragon’s involvement and the Italian government’s potential role in the hacking scandal. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what actions will be taken against those responsible for the hacking and what measures will be put in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.
[Image: Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni speaking in Parliament in Rome. (ANDREAS SOLARO via Getty Images)]Source Link
