iOS 16.6.1 Released With Security Fixes; Vulnerability Used to Infect iPhone with Pegasus Spyware: Researchers

Citizen Lab discovered a flaw used to infect an employee of a US civil society group with NSO Group's nefarious Pegasus spyware.

By Reuters | Updated: 8 September 2023 12:09 IST

iOS 16.6.1 Released With Security Fixes; Vulnerability Used to Infect iPhone with Pegasus Spyware: Researchers

Photo Credit: Reuters

Apple issued new updates on its devices after investigating the flaws

Highlights

The flaw allowed compromise of iPhones running the latest version of iOS
Citizen Lab urged consumers to update their devices
Citizen Lab did not provide further details on the affected individual

Researchers at digital watchdog group Citizen Lab said on Thursday they found spyware they linked to Israeli firm NSO that exploited a newly discovered flaw in Apple devices. While inspecting the Apple device of an employee of a Washington-based civil society group last week, Citizen Lab said it found the flaw had been used to infect the device with NSO's Pegasus spyware, it said in a statement.

"This shows that civil society is once again serving as the early warning system about really sophisticated attacks," said John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at Citizen Lab, which is based at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Citizen Lab did not provide further details on the affected individual or the organization.

Samsung Wins Patent for a Tri-Fold Smartphone With Specialised Barrier Layer for Improved Durability

The flaw allowed the compromise of iPhones running the latest version of iOS (16.6) without any interaction from the victim, the digital watchdog said.

Apple issued new updates on its devices after investigating the flaws reported by Citizen Lab. An Apple spokesperson said it had no further comment, while Citizen Lab urged consumers to update their devices.

An NSO spokesperson said it did not have any immediate comment on the Citizen Lab research.

Apple Expected to Use Its Own iPhone Modem Chip by 2025: Ming-Chi Kuo

The Israeli firm has been blacklisted by the US government since 2021 for alleged abuses, including surveillance of government officials and journalists.

iPhone 15 Series Camera Details Tipped Ahead of Launch: Check Here

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company's latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.