Meta's WhatsApp Reveals Paragon, an Israeli Spyware Company, Targeted Users

According to a Meta official, the Israeli spyware company Paragon Solutions aimed its activities at numerous WhatsApp users, encompassing journalists and members of civil society. WhatsApp identified an attempt to hack about 90 users and issued a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon. The hacking scheme consisted of sending malicious PDFs through WhatsApp groups, a tactic that WhatsApp has since thwarted. Citizen Lab researcher John Scott-Railton highlighted that the spyware targeting highlights the growing presence of mercenary spyware.