U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware • Hacker News Board

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#51

Post by boomboomsubban » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:55 PM UTC

comrh wrote: post #14

boomboomsubban wrote: post #10

>In a public response, NSO has said its technology helps stop terrorism and that they've installed controls to curb spying against innocent targets. For example, NSO says its intrusion system cannot work on phones with U.S. numbers beginning with the country code +1. So the point is to stop terrorism and to do that they've immediately ruled that all Americans aren't terrorists. That doesn't seem like a good metric of…

NSO has repeatedly shown that their statements are pretty much worthless. It's just damage control. I wouldn't put any stock in the "we avoid +1 numbers" to even be real.

> I wouldn't put any stock in the "we avoid +1 numbers" to even be real.

That part I believed. Setting up their software to not target the US seems like the kind of move they'd make. Claiming it's so they don't target innocent people is bullshit.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#52

Post by SavantIdiot » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:55 PM UTC

The Israel government gets a pass for anything they do. Whether it is lying about nukes or what they've done to Palestine. NSO is a feather in their cap.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#53

Post by SavantIdiot » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:57 PM UTC

Slapping down the NSO doesn't fix the problem. We should be glad we even know that their software exists, imagine if it was completely hidden from the public? The problem is that Apple needs to fix this. Security is an arms race, and the more visibility we have into where it is weak, the better for everyone. To paraphrase the motorcycle repair episode of Winter Steele, "You are stronger now for having been fixed." IMHO.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#54

Post by BillSaysThis » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:57 PM UTC

smoldesu wrote: post #2

Huh, it looks like suing a state-sponsored malware manufacturer doesn't prevent them from continuing to hijack your devices. Live and learn, I suppose.

Suing is hardly the same as having the suit decided, grow up.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#55

Post by unknown2374 » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:58 PM UTC

bob-a-fet wrote: post #37

One settler colony hacks another settler colony, the one that had co-sponsored its creation along with Britain, the mothership of all settler colonies. Honor amongst thieves? No such thing.

A book came out about a year ago by a fantastic academic about the history of settler colonialism by Israel in Palestine [1]. I'd suggest anyone who wants to learn more about Israel and values referenced record of history. The book is very well written, referenced (a sixth of the book is references) and comes highly regarded.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Years-War-Palestine-Resistanc...

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#56

Post by dr-detroit » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:58 PM UTC

FredPret wrote: post #16

Seems like not-the-smartest move for Israel to mess with one of the few powerful entities that desires its continued existence

There is 0 popular support for Israel and their "religion of peace". Biden got in soooo much trouble for saying he would divest during the election.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#57

Post by dkjaudyeqooe » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 6:00 PM UTC

s_dev wrote: post #26

boomboomsubban wrote: post #10

>In a public response, NSO has said its technology helps stop terrorism and that they've installed controls to curb spying against innocent targets. For example, NSO says its intrusion system cannot work on phones with U.S. numbers beginning with the country code +1. So the point is to stop terrorism and to do that they've immediately ruled that all Americans aren't terrorists. That doesn't seem like a good metric of…

So I just have to buy a US phone to evade detection from NSO? And why didn't that logic work for US State Dept phones? I'm honestly of the opinion there is nothing that NSO can say that isn't outright lying. This isn't a normal company in anyway.

Phone hardware is not tied to any particular number.

So you just need a SIM with a US number and use that for all your evasion needs.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#58

Post by walrus01 » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 6:00 PM UTC

DyslexicAtheist wrote: post #29

DelightOne wrote: post #7

Is there a timetable when Apple plans to stop using memory-unsafe languages to avoid memory-bugs? If not, how can the amount of zero-days stop with constant development?

biggest issue here isn't memory safety but the dumpster fire of imessage format that calls out to privileged parts of the system

I'm suspicious of any messaging system that has ties into rich media / embedded-in-chat content. I even wish I could disable URL previews, gifs, and inline images in Signal.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#59

Post by Apofis » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 6:00 PM UTC

boomboomsubban wrote: post #10

>In a public response, NSO has said its technology helps stop terrorism and that they've installed controls to curb spying against innocent targets. For example, NSO says its intrusion system cannot work on phones with U.S. numbers beginning with the country code +1. So the point is to stop terrorism and to do that they've immediately ruled that all Americans aren't terrorists. That doesn't seem like a good metric of…

These people are in for a world of hurt, the State Department tells the CIA what to do.

Re: U.S. State Department phones hacked with Israeli company spyware

#60

Post by montblanc » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 6:01 PM UTC

maltalex wrote: post #46

I don't understand the focus on NSO in these stories. If U.S State Department personnel in Uganda were shot from an M-16, would the headline mention "an American arms manufacturer"? No, because it's ridiculous. For better or worse, NSO's product is a weapon. How is it any different from an M-16? Where is the outrage towards the people who used this weapon against the State Department?

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