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Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

citizenlab.ca

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Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#241

Post by smashah »

keyme wrote: post #134
bjourne wrote: post #104

How come when we hear about this stuff it is always Israeli companies involved? Is ethics not taught in Israeli Computer Science curricula? Those who wrote this exploit are clearly "brilliant" and at least some of them are bound to be reading Hacker News. Is other countries' spyware firms just better at hiding their malware than Israel's is?

When HackingTeam was exposed, no one was asking to sanction Italy. Hating on Israel specifically is a very cool and woke thing to do. Has been for decades.

Whataboutisming when people are justifiably calling out an Israeli company (shielded by Israeli courts) for continuing to be the reason why human rights activists and journalists are being jailed or murdered, is a very cool and contrarian thing to do.

Why does this shining light of democracy allow/encourage it's companies to perpetuate authoritarianism for their neighbors? Not a very democracy-loving thing to do.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#242

Post by smashah »

2Gkashmiri wrote: post #117
smashah wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WhatsApp "attempted" to get NSOs export license revoked and failed. How would you expect America to stop two of their allies from dealing with each other (with a potential courtship in the works)? Especially when America itself gets major weapons contracts to look the other way? This will just continue to get worse. More journalists and human rights activists will die because some delusional maniacs feelings were hur…

india for the last couple of years has been cracking down on "whatsapp groups" in occupied kashmir for reasons unknown. the encryption has not helped them because now they cant just use their homegrown network analyzer called "netra" to sift through whatsapp messages like they do on facebook. instead they opted to have whatsapp admins get "registered" and "licensed" to operate their groups. this resulted in being cal…

I did not know this. This is incredibly concerning and warrants another HN post on its own.

Thanks for sharing

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#243

Post by smashah »

quantummkv wrote: post #124
smashah wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WhatsApp "attempted" to get NSOs export license revoked and failed. How would you expect America to stop two of their allies from dealing with each other (with a potential courtship in the works)? Especially when America itself gets major weapons contracts to look the other way? This will just continue to get worse. More journalists and human rights activists will die because some delusional maniacs feelings were hur…

> Maybe tech as a whole should replace lip service and instead redirect (and/or reject) major funds to fight injustice on a geopolitical level. So instead of a democratically elected US Govt dropping freedom from a 1 billion bomber on a 10$ tent, A bunch of hippies in a small part of the US should use the power of social media to control and direct conversation, culture and world events like some sort of a uber-exclu…

This is not what I mean.

The tech industry internationally should participate in some form of BDS (as much as they are comfortable with I guess) with these countries.

Also, I believe there should be something akin to the Hippocratic Oath but for developers and engineers.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#244

Post by secfirstmd »

bjourne wrote: post #104

How come when we hear about this stuff it is always Israeli companies involved? Is ethics not taught in Israeli Computer Science curricula? Those who wrote this exploit are clearly "brilliant" and at least some of them are bound to be reading Hacker News. Is other countries' spyware firms just better at hiding their malware than Israel's is?

It's not always Israeli companies. For example we have seen attacks in journalists, NGO workers and activists from Hacking Team which is Italian, Finisher / Gamma International which is Germany or British (IIRC), then there are other hacking groups for hire from India. Of course then there is state stuff from Russia, China amongst others.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#245

Post by comprev »

xvector wrote: post #236
comprev wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm firmly in the camp that my brain will never be used in the weapons (or gambling) industry - no matter what the salary.

Not in the weapons industry, but in my experience statements like that struggle to hold up to the test of time. Seems like the places I wanted to work the least for offered the most, by a significant margin.

It's about making your lifestyle fit around the expected income and making a choice to accept lower wages in industries which align greater with your morals.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#246

Post by notsureaboutpg »

keyme wrote: post #134
bjourne wrote: post #104

How come when we hear about this stuff it is always Israeli companies involved? Is ethics not taught in Israeli Computer Science curricula? Those who wrote this exploit are clearly "brilliant" and at least some of them are bound to be reading Hacker News. Is other countries' spyware firms just better at hiding their malware than Israel's is?

When HackingTeam was exposed, no one was asking to sanction Italy. Hating on Israel specifically is a very cool and woke thing to do. Has been for decades.

Who was the last agent of the Italian state to infiltrate a foreign country and bomb and assassinate civilians in broad daylight? Israel did this last month.

I also don't remember Italy bulldozing people's homes while the occupants watch and then turning that land over to their preferred ethnic group, but you know my history isn't so great.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#247

Post by pessimizer »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #76
pessimizer wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We can start with ourselves by not sending military aid to Israel.

Which doesn't necessarily prevent any journalist deaths, while we send many Yemeni journalists one step closer to starvation.

We can also stop selling arms to the Saudis and running logistics for them. That would save a lot of Yemenis from starvation.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#248

Post by 2Gkashmiri »

smashah wrote: post #242
2Gkashmiri wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

india for the last couple of years has been cracking down on "whatsapp groups" in occupied kashmir for reasons unknown. the encryption has not helped them because now they cant just use their homegrown network analyzer called "netra" to sift through whatsapp messages like they do on facebook. instead they opted to have whatsapp admins get "registered" and "licensed" to operate their groups. this resulted in being cal…

I did not know this. This is incredibly concerning and warrants another HN post on its own. Thanks for sharing

not an issue. i just crossed the 500 days of no high speed mobile internet so yeah, fuck tyrant governments

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#249

Post by boomboomsubban »

pessimizer wrote: post #247
boomboomsubban wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which doesn't necessarily prevent any journalist deaths, while we send many Yemeni journalists one step closer to starvation.

We can also stop selling arms to the Saudis and running logistics for them. That would save a lot of Yemenis from starvation.

I get what you're trying to say, but specifically it's the US ongoing blockade putting their food supplies at risk, and more generally you are still punishing other countries for actions we engage in regularly. Start by prosecuting the CIA that plotted assassinating Assange.

Re: Journalists Hacked with Suspected NSO Group iMessage ‘Zero-Click’ Exploit

#250

Post by sa-mao »

smashah wrote: post #241
keyme wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When HackingTeam was exposed, no one was asking to sanction Italy. Hating on Israel specifically is a very cool and woke thing to do. Has been for decades.

Whataboutisming when people are justifiably calling out an Israeli company (shielded by Israeli courts) for continuing to be the reason why human rights activists and journalists are being jailed or murdered, is a very cool and contrarian thing to do. Why does this shining light of democracy allow/encourage it's companies to perpetuate authoritarianism for their neighbors? Not a very democracy-loving thing to do.

There is genuine interest for perpetuating authoritarianism and more importantly corruption for their neighbours.
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