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John Scott-Railton Profile picture
@jsrailton
Jul 18, 2021 • 37 tweets • 44 min read • Read on X
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BREAKING: massive, global leak of the targets of NSO Group's Pegasus spyware. *huge deal.*

Forensic investigation by @AmnestyTech
in collaboration with @FbdnStories reporters.

We @citizenlab conducted peer review.

Here's an explainer THREAD.
washingtonpost.com/investigations… Image
2. Background: the already-notorious NSO Group makes mercenary spyware to silently & remotely hack iPhones & Androids.

Many of their government customers are authoritarians.

Most cannot resist the temptation to target their critics, reporters, human rights groups etc. Image
3. More about leaked numbers & targets in a sec, but first you need to know:

@AmnestyTech just released a report with technical analysis of NSO's infrastructure... & analysis validating w/forensics that some phones were infected with Pegasus.

amnesty.org/en/latest/rese…
4. We @citizenlab independently peer reviewed @AmnestyTech's forensic methodology, including how they identify an infected phone.

Our review, led by my colleague @billmarczak, judged their forensics & research methodology to be SOUND.

citizenlab.ca/2021/07/amnest… Image
5. Now, to the findings: >50k numbers were leaked that are reportedly part of the infection & targeting workflow with Pegasus.

To help validate the relationship between these numbers & infections @AmnestyTech got consent to forensically examine a subset of the devices. Image
6. The @FbdnStories consortium worked w/the leaked phone numbers... what they found reveals 10 of NSO Group's customers insatiable intent to snoop.

And the massive scale of the operation.

- Mexico customer > 15,000
- Morocco > 10,000
- UAE > 10,00

Etc. Image
7. #SaudiArabia 🇸🇦 murdered & dismembered Jamal Khashoggi.

Jamal's wife was targeted with Pegasus spyware before the killing...

Then his fiancee was hacked multiple times just days after.

@citizenlab independently confirmed findings.

#PegasusProject
washingtonpost.com/investigations… ImageImageImageImage
8. #HUNGARY 🇭🇺

Ask the government for comment... get hacked.

Hungary's far-right PM Viktor Orbán is using Pegasus spyware to surveil & attack Hungary's independent media, like @direkt36, @panyiszabolcs, and many more.

Story: @shaunwalker7 theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/… ImageImageImageImage
9. #INDIA🇮🇳 Over 40 reporters, major opposition figures, serving ministers in the #Modi government, members of the security services and beyond are in the list.

Story to watch as the scandal unfolds there.

Story @svaradarajan @thewire_in
thewire.in/government/pro… Image
10. HUNDREDS of journalists around the globe are on the #PegasusProject list.

NSO Group's role in fueling the authoritarian assault on democratic values (like a free press) is coming into sharp focus

theguardian.com/world/2021/jul… ImageImageImageImage
11. NSO Group puts up a facade of caring about human rights, doing due diligence, etc.

This leak exposes the farce of that performance.

When your customers are dictators... they will do bad things. NSO knows this. We know it.

Now everybody knows it. Image
12. Continuing with cases.... in #FRANCE 🇫🇷

#PegasusProject list includes @edwyplenel, founder of independent news site @Mediapart, a reporter from @lemondefr, etc..

Story lemonde.fr/projet-pegasus… Image
13. in #Mexico 🇲🇽 Journalist Cecilio Pineda Birto was getting death threats for reporting on official collusion with a cartel capo...

...then his number showed up on the #PegasusProject list.

Then he was assassinated.
theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/… ImageImageImageImage
14. Bookmark this thread. Things are only getting started.

I'll be updating it with more cases & context as #PegasusProject revelations keep dropping.
15. REASON TO CARE #1

So, you didn't know today's #PegasusProject hacking victims personally.

But tomorrow? Who knows. You don't.

#NSOGROUP is aggressively pitching *local* cops, including in USA 🇺🇸

Pause. Think about the oversight at your local PD.

vice.com/en/article/889… ImageImageImageImage
16. REASON TO CARE #2:

Since all phones are vulnerable, #Pegasus spyware lets its autocrat-users *export fear*

They want want *you* to be afraid to criticize them.

Yes, you. A continent away. In a democracy.

Think about the implications.
7. REASON TO CARE #3:

Think only human rights defenders & journalists get hacked with #Pegasus?

Wrong.

Good chance officials responsible for the national security of YOUR country have been / will be targeted.

Example pic: 2019 #NSOGroup WhatsApp hack.
reuters.com/article/us-fac… Image
18. Know who else is saying #NSOGroup must be stopped?

Big tech.

These days they are hitting back hard against the mercenary spyware industry for hacking their products & users.

E.g. this thread by @wcathcart @WhatsApp's CEO.👇
19. #INDIA🇮🇳 (2/)

She accused the Chief Justice of India’s Supreme Court of sexual harassment.

Just days later:

Her phone. Her husband's phone. Their family members..

11 in total then showed up on the #PegasusProject list.

thewire.in/rights/ranjan-… ImageImageImage
20. #FRANCE 🇫🇷 Claude Mangin is campaigning for the release of her husband, a political activist, from a #moroccan prison.

She's in France.

Last month her iPhone 11 was silently hacked w/#Pegasus spyware. A second iPhone she borrowed? Also infected.
washingtonpost.com/technology/202… ImageImageImage
21. BREAKING: Americans 🇺🇸 including US. Gov. officials are on the #PegasusProject list...

...even the #Biden administration's lead Iran negotiator Robert Malley!

#NSOGroup is an urgent national security problem for the United States.
washingtonpost.com//national-secu… Image
22. #MEXICO 🇲🇽: At least *50 people* close to the president ... are on the #PegasusProject spyware list.

They were put there while he was campaigning.

-His wife
-Family members, drivers, doctor
-Aides, chief of staff
-Doctor...

#PegasusProject
Story theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/… ImageImage
23. Paul Rusesabagina inspired Hotel #Rwanda 🇷🇼

He's become a critic of the gov., and was recently thrown in jail.

His American 🇺🇸 daughter, while advocating for his release, has been incessantly surveilled w/ #Pegasus.

#PegasusProject
By @skirchy theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/… ImageImageImage
24. Policies to stop the global spyware catastrophe?

Experts @davidakaye & @MarietjeSchaake say:

- Immediate moratorium on sale & transfer
-Rule-of-law requirements on users
-Victims must be able to sue
-Global principles of conduct

#PegasusProject
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/… ImageImageImageImage
25. #INDIA 🇮🇳 (3/) Rahul Gandhi was Prime Minister #Modi's main opponent in the 2019 nat'l elections.

During the campaign, 2 of his phones were put on the #PegasusProject list, and 5 of his friends & fellow Congress party officials.

theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/… Image
26. #NSOGroup & #Pegasus spyware customers are issuing panicky, fairy-tale denials.

Here's my take.

#PegasusProject
27. BREAKING: 10 prime ministers, 3 presidents & a king on the #PegasusProject spyware list.

Included, French president @EmmanuelMacron
🇫🇷

Crystal clear: #NSOGroup is a global national security threat.

Story: washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/… Image
28. #NSOGroup, after courting a lot of press, is suddenly not interested in talking....

So begins the hope-this-dies-down phase of crisis management?
#PegasusProject
29. NEW "there's gotta be some accountability for spies-for-hire"

Senator @RonWyden to Senate Intelligence Committee yesterday in light of #PegasusProject revelations about #NSOGroup spyware.
Full:
30. NEW: 1st legal complaint from #Pegasus victims over latest spyware revelations has landed in France 🇫🇷

Brought by 2 journalists, supported by press freedom org @RSF_inter

Their statement says more complaints inbound.
#PegasusProject
rsf.org/en/news/after-… ImageImageImage
31. NEW: Dalai Lama's inner circle on the #PegasusProject list. (He's not thought to carry a phone)

Happened in period before & after a private meeting with @BarackObama.

#India🇮🇳 suspected as #NSOGroup #spyware client responsible.

Report: theguardian.com/news/2021/jul/… ImageImageImageImage
32. NEW: While #NSOGroup is trying to distract you with a counter narrative...

Here are #Indian 🇮🇳 Police barging into the offices of one of the #PegasusProject media outlets. 👇
35. TODAY: @WhatsApp CEO @wcathcart rubbishes #NSOGroup's denials:

- #PegasusProject reporting consistent w/targeting in #NSOGroup's 2019 attack on WhatsApp users.
- Points out: in *only* 2 weeks 1.4k numbers were confirmed targeted in 2019. Do the math.

theguardian.com/technology/202… ImageImage
36. BIG DEAL: today @WhatsApp CEO @wcathcart *publicly confirmed* that senior national security officials of US allies🇺🇸 were targeted with #Pegasus spyware in 2019.

Clear message: #NSOGroup spyware is a national security threat.

By @skirchy theguardian.com/technology/202… Image
37. Taking #NSOGroup's denials at face value?

CEO: "you won't reach 50,000 #Pegasus targets since the company was founded"

FACT: there were >1,400 *confirmed* targets in just 2 weeks in 2019 per @WhatsApp.

At this rate NSO would have easily reached 50k+
calcalistech.com/ctech/articles… Image
38. Not familiar with the 2019 #NSOGroup attack on @WhatsApp?

#Pegasus spyware was used to target people via WhatsApp in 2019. WhatsApp spotted it, quickly shut it down, notified all targets...and then *sued* NSO.

We @citizenlab helped investigate.
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…
39. "A.Q. Khans of the cyber world"

🇺🇸 US lawmakers just came out swinging against mercenary hacking company #NSOGroup.

Statement: US Gov must impose consequences in light of latest revelations of spyware misuse.

Reps @Malinowski @RepKatiePorter @JoaquinCastrotx @RepAnnaEshoo ImageImageImage

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More from @jsrailton

John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 12
STAGGERING: Nearly all @ATT customers' text & call records breached.

An unknown entity now has an NSA-level view into Americans' lives.

Damage isn't limited to AT&T customers.

But everyone they interacted with.

Also a huge national security incident given government customers on $T. 1/

By @MattEganCNN &@snlyngaas
cnn.com/2024/07/12/bus…Image
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2/ From @ATT's SEC filing. None of this is remotely reassuring.

Making matters worse, it looks like some of the data has cell site information.

That means broad stroke location information that can be translated into intelligence about peoples' locations and movements.

sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archiv…Image
3/ Attack of the dreaded third-party cloud platform. In this case, per reporting, this is again @SnowflakeDB.

If this sounds vaguely familiar it's because Snowflake has featured in reporting on a whole host of recent breaches, from #Santander to #Ticketmaster.

In other news, Snowflake finally implemented mandatory multi-factor authentication option.Image
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Read 10 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 11
WOW: Bolsonaro's spy services in #Brazil allegedly ran sprawling technical surveillance of:

❌Opposition leaders
❌Judges
❌journalists
❌environmental officials
❌Those investigating son for corruption...

Then used the material.. 1/

@tomphillipsin
theguardian.com/world/article/…



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2/ OF COURSE. Material allegedly surreptitiously collected by this parallel intelligence service... was then used in harassment campaigns.

This pipeline of technical surveillance to disinformation is achingly familiar to anyone that has lived under authoritarianism. Image
3/ OF COURSE: surveillance tool used in illegal spying in #Brazil was made by @Cognyte .

Commercial surveillance company $CGNT is already notorious for being used in targeting of journalists & politicians around the world...


about.fb.com/wp-content/upl…
abcnews.go.com/International/…Image
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Read 7 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 10
IMPORTANT: has @Apple sent you a mercenary spyware threat notification?

Latest round just went out.

Take them seriously. Get expert help.

If you a journalist, activist, dissident etc. I suggest you ✅contact @accessnow's helpline. 1/
accessnow.org/help/
2/ In my experience, @Apple's mercenary spyware threat notifications do several things:

✅ Help users take action to secure themselves
✅ Impose cost on spyware companies & customers
✅ Keep us researchers busy investigating cases

They can also have a✅deterrent effect.
@Apple 3/ I never tire of saying that @apple threat notifications have helped to change the information balance between spyware victims & those that target them.

They have also kicked off waves of scandals & discoveries of spyware abuses. Like in #Poland👇

Read 5 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 9
NEW: @TheJusticeDept just disrupted a Russian-run AI-enabled Twitter disinformation bot farm.

Almost 1000 accounts on @X.

Masqueraded as Americans & promoted Russian government narratives.

Fascinating sleuthing behind this 1/
justice.gov/opa/pr/justice…



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2/ The investigation behind this Russian political interference takedown is interesting.

First, the @FBI got account registration info for a slice of fake accounts on @X

They found a lot of email accounts registered on the same server.

So they went to the registrar...
Image
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@FBI @X 3/ While the domain registrar (Namecheap) had a bunch of account registration information for the @FBI, the info was a fake name and some alias information.

Strike out? No. The FBI began a subpoena cascade, starting with the Google account used to register the domain. Image
Read 10 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 6
Another jailed dissident goes into hospital.

One by one, Putin's goal is to eliminate them all.

Now is the time for international attention to the condition of Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Image
2/ Kara-Murza is an incredibly brave voice and thorn in Putin's side.

He was twice-poisoned and was then imprisoned after a show trial.

And he's not the only person in grave danger...
nybooks.com/online/2017/02…
Image
3/ Another Russian truth teller in danger?

Ilya Yashin, jailed after speaking out on Putin's invasion of #Ukraine.

He is among at least 766 political prisoners in Russia according to human rights organization @pzk_memo_eng , which maintains a list: memopzk.orgImage
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Read 4 tweets
John Scott-Railton Profile picture
Jul 1
2.6 million people have been shown this deepfake.

It cites an AI-written disinformation site.

Don't believe me? Well. operators of this fake French news site often forgot to delete the prompts.

Perhaps they don't speak French?

Site is filled with generated content prompted as conservative attacks against @EmmanuelMacron and other disinformation.

Site became active ~ a week before yesterday's #French elections & is now pumping out tons of false content.

Very instructive..

h/t @KyleJGlen (recommended follow!) for flagging!
(2nd screenshot = machine translated)Image
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2/ Lesson: the raw falsehoods laundered up through coordinated disinformation that gets to a viral false thread can be incredibly sloppy. Image
3/ Glad to see the community note. But by now the obviously fake content has reached a modest degree of virality.


Image
Read 6 tweets

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