More than a dozen Serbians targeted with mercenary spyware, digital rights group finds
Researchers said the infections were the largest documented spyware wave in Serbia and involved Pegasus and NoviSpy-like malware against activists and opposition figures.
- On Wednesday, the SHARE Foundation reported that at least 14 Serbian civil society members were targeted with advanced mercenary spyware, identified following threat notifications sent by Apple.
- These infections coincided with March local elections viewed as a test for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, following student protests sparked by the 2024 Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse.
- Forensic analysis confirmed at least one device was compromised by Pegasus, developed by Israeli NSO Group, while two others were infected with NoviSpy; one Pegasus infection utilized a zero-click exploit.
- Donncha Cearbhaill, head of Amnesty International's Security Lab, stated these forensic findings show activists continue to face invasive surveillance, and Apple's recent security updates have since neutralized the specific exploits.
- Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railton noted that mercenary spyware continues to be used against those campaigning for democracy, warning this digital targeting serves as a preview of actions expected during October parliamentary elections.
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40 Articles
At least 14 people in Serbian civil society, including members of the student movement protesting against power, were targeted with advanced spying programs. In at least one case Pegasus was used, a software that can give the attacker full access to the phone. Aleksandar Vučić's government does not, however, deny involvement.
Serbian Students Targeted With Israeli Spyware Ahead Of Elections (Worthy News Investigation)
More than a dozen members of Serbia’s influential student movement and opposition figures were targeted with sophisticated spyware ahead of parliamentary elections, according to investigators, fueling concerns about government surveillance in what researchers call the country’s largest documented wave of such spying.
According to representatives of the student movement in Belgrade, at least 14 people, including students, an opposition MP and a municipal activist, have been targeted by a cyberattack since the beginning of the year. Their phones were allegedly hacked using the Israeli spyware Pegasus. Serbian students are convinced that the Serbian government led by Vučić, who is afraid of the upcoming elections, is behind the attacks.
Dnevni list Danas
Naslovi.netMore than ten students and members of the opposition in Serbia have been targeted by spyware since the beginning of the year, in the largest wave of such surveillance documented so far in this Eastern European country, writes the Financial Times (FT).
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