Paragon Solutions, an Israeli spyware firm, allegedly targeted journalists, activists, and civil society members in over twenty countries, according to WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta.

Graphite, the spyware, was allegedly spread using infected PDFs and group chats, making it hard for victims to notice the danger.

In politically sensitive places, the spyware was allegedly used to snoop on people’s communications and online activities, according to WhatsApp. The corporation has taken action by issuing a cease-and-desist letter to Paragon and halting the hacking campaign. The event has been reported to law enforcement agencies and Citizen Lab, an internet monitor.

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Because the spyware was meant to operate surreptitiously, the compromised devices of the targeted individuals—many of whom were active in journalism or human rights work—were not apparent to them. The security team at WhatsApp wasted little time in thwarting the spyware’s attempts to infiltrate the platform.

Paragon, which was recently acquired by AE Industrial Partners, declined to comment on the allegations. Concerns have been voiced by specialists such as John Scott-Railton of Citizen Lab on the increasing prevalence of mercenary spyware, drawing attention to the risks associated with the commercial spyware sector. Scott-Railton noted the continued exploitation of such technology to harm privacy and freedom of expression.

This event emphasizes the persistent hazards posed by spyware and the need for greater cybersecurity safeguards to secure user privacy, particularly for individuals in vulnerable industries like journalism and human rights advocacy.

WhatsApp’s proactive response aims to stop hostile operations and safeguard users from future threats.