{"id":478,"date":"2023-04-12T06:25:06","date_gmt":"2023-04-12T06:25:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/?p=478"},"modified":"2023-05-06T06:47:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T06:47:50","slug":"how-to-detect-pegasus-spyware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dataprot.net\/guides\/how-to-detect-pegasus-spyware\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Detect Pegasus Spyware: A Complete Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By now, you are probably aware that the internet is not the safest place to be. Between hackers and malware lurking in emails, ads, and regular web pages, it\u2019s hard to know what you can and can\u2019t click on. Still, thanks to a plethora of anti-malware software, you can get some basic protection at the very least, which will be enough in most cases. However, it won\u2019t be enough for some programs, of which Pegasus is the most notorious. This article will inform you what Pegasus spyware is, how to detect it, and shield yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is Pegasus?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pegasus spyware is a hacking program made specifically for iOS and Android<\/strong>, used to collect information from the device it is on. It can enable microphone or camera recording without the knowledge of the phone\u2019s owner and access any data on the phone, including location, documents, media, phone register, or any other app. The software was developed by Israeli company NSO Group<\/strong> (said to be owned by an American venture capital firm, Francisco Partners Management) that markets, distributes, and licenses it to governments worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pegasus Software Installation and Use<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A failed spear-phishing attempt was the first time this spyware was detected<\/strong>. An email was supposed to lead its receiver to click on an attachment to download and activate the malicious software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, both NSO and its technology have evolved. The company integrated a \u201czero-click\u201d attack system, which means clicking on a specific file is not required for the spyware to activate. It will also exploit \u201czero-day\u201d vulnerabilities: OS flaws not even the phone manufacturer is yet aware of and is hence unable to fix them immediately.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely why normal anti-malware can\u2019t detect Pegasus, as most of them are programmed to rectify already known issues. Pegasus is known to specifically target high-profile individuals<\/strong>, like politicians, government officials, etc. Offered to governments and state agencies worldwide (FBI<\/a>, for one), it has already been uncovered that people like the current French president, Emmanuel Macron<\/a>, were just some of its victims last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Phone with Pegasus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The main characteristic of Pegasus, as is with spyware in general, is that it is not supposed to be noticeable while active. To the user, everything should seem normal, while the software is collecting data in the background. Anti-malware cannot detect the anomaly<\/strong> as it\u2019s focused on installed apps and their code to figure out their purpose. If your antivirus finds a wolf in sheep’s clothing, so to speak, it will dispose of it immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Pegasus can be implemented in different ways that stay hidden from traditional defenses. A phone can be infected through a spear-phishing attempt, although this method is rarely used, due to the flaws in its process. However, it can still work if the hacker has enough information to compose a message that wouldn\u2019t be as obvious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second method is the Over-the-Air (OTA) technique<\/strong>. How exactly this method is implemented is a secret, but this feature is how Pegasus stands out from a range of similar solutions. OTA relies on zero-day and zero-click vulnerabilities<\/strong>, using the victim\u2019s phone number or email to send a push message that triggers the device to install Pegasus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means hackers only need to have your phone or email address. All they need to do is send you a message or initiate a phone call (whether by Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, etc.) without you having to answer the call or click on anything to activate the spyware. In an instant, your phone is infected with Pegasus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"iphone<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exploits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Exploits are loopholes in app or OS programming<\/strong> that Pegasus spyware can find and use to access the device. You can look at spyware programming as a game of chess – as soon as one loophole is discovered, it is patched, but the attackers are always looking for another loophole, and it goes on and on. It takes some serious knowledge to find or create an exploit as well as patch one up. Currently, most of them have been created and patched on iPhones<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trident <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This exploit consists of three related zero-day vulnerabilities in iOS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n