WhatsApp secures major victory in lawsuit against infamous spyware maker

In a remarkable breakthrough, WhatsApp has secured a significant victory in its lawsuit against NSO Group, the Israeli spyware maker behind the notorious Pegasus spyware.

The US jury has ordered NSO Group to pay the parent company Meta $167 million in damages for hacking into WhatsApp users' phones using a vulnerability in the app's audio-calling feature.

The court ruling marks a significant setback for NSO Group, which has faced criticism for its role in enabling governments and other actors to spy on citizens and dissidents.

Beginning in October 2019, the lawsuit accused NSO Group of targeting over 1,400 WhatsApp users, including human rights activists, journalists, and diplomats.

The spyware was able to infect devices without users needing to answer calls or interact with malicious content, making it a "zero-click" attack.

During the trial, WhatsApp's lawyer explained that NSO Group built a custom server to send malicious messages mimicking real ones, which would trigger the user's phone to download the Pegasus spyware.

However, NSO Group's executives testified about the sophistication of their spyware, with the company's research and development vice president calling zero-click solutions a "significant milestone" for Pegasus.

It should be noted that Meta plans to donate the awarded damages to digital rights organisations working to defend people against such attacks.