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An Italian parliamentary committee has confirmed that the government used the Israeli-made spyware Graphite, developed by the offensive cyber company Paragon, to hack the smartphones of several activists working with migrants.

The committee confirmed that Paragon provided Graphite to two Italian agencies, including the country’s external intelligence service, starting in 2023. The version of Graphite provided did not include the ability to activate the phone’s microphone or camera, the report said. Instead, it only enabled its operators access to encrypted communications on the hacked devices.

The report also confirmed that Graphite exploited a vulnerability in WhatsApp that Meta identified and patched in December 2024, one month before the spyware’s activity was publicly disclosed. The vulnerability’s discovery also caused “panic” at Israel’s military intelligence Unit 8200, according to the recent Israeli television report.

  • LWD@lemm.ee
    10·
    2 days ago

    The version of Graphite provided did not include the ability to activate the phone’s microphone or camera…it only enabled its operators access to encrypted communications on the hacked devices

    “Only” Is underselling that a bit, I think.Personal messages are smaller and easier to transmit without erasing suspicion, and they’re basically a curated list of things the activists are saying to each other.

  • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
    4·
    2 days ago

    Meta is fully infiltrated by the Israeli spooks. This is not a vulnerability, that’s a back door that has been exposed and shut.

    JFC do they really expect us to just believe these narratives.