Predator Files
The Predator Files are a revelation of a year of investigative research by several media houses led by the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC). The focus is on the international consortium Intellexa Alliance, which allegedly distributed spyware.
Spyware
A spyware was distributed that provides access to electronic devices within two minutes. For this purpose, manipulated links are sent to the victims; for example, fake articles from reputable news providers to motivate the victim to click on the link.[1] Likewise, a tactical attack is possible, in which devices in the vicinity can be tapped. In a demonstration to Forbes 2019 journalists, the software located hands at a range of several hundred meters without a mouse click.[2]
The software thus provides access to call lists, SMS, messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram or Signal, as well as photos, videos and the browsing history, location services.[3] The hackers can also falsify messages. The spying software has been sold to 25 countries, including Sudan, Mongolia, Madagascar, Kazakhstan, Egypt, Indonesia, Vietnam and Angola.[4] The spyware was also sold to Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
The distributor Intellexa Alliance was founded in Ireland in 2018 by Tal Dilian, a former general of a cyber unit, Unit 81, of the Israel Defense Forces.[5] After leaving service, Dilian acquired Cytrox, a start-up from northern Macedonia, with his company Aliada. Nexa and AMES (Advanced Middle East Systems) from France are part of the Intellexa consortium.[6] The French companies are successors to the Eagle spy company, which was sold to Muammar Gaddafi in 2006.[4] In July 2023, Joe Biden added Intellexa to a United States Department of Commerce blacklist.[7]
Analysts at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab discovered the spyware on victims' devices.
Victims of the spyware included Ayman Nour and Greek journalists as part of the wiretapping scandal in Greece.[5]
Research
Der Spiegel and the French Mediapart received confidential documents from French investigations as well as documents from Hensoldt. Under one-year coordination of the EIC, NRC Handelsblad, Politiken, Expresso, Le Soir, De Standaard, Verdens Gang, Infolibre and Domani also investigated in addition to the aforementioned media. Also involved were Shomrin, Reporters United, Daraj Media, The Washington Post and WOZ Die Wochenzeitung.[citation needed]
See also
External links
- Predator Files. European Investigative Collaborations (collection of links to the publications of the participating media houses).
References
- ^ "Massive Kontrollmängel bei Handel mit Überwachungstechnologie". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ Brewster, Thomas. "A Multimillionaire Surveillance Dealer Steps Out Of The Shadows . . . And His $9 Million WhatsApp Hacking Van". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ "Permanente Überwachung: Der Spion in der Hosentasche". www.woz.ch (in German). 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ a b ""Predator Files" enthüllen unkontrollierten Handel mit hochinvasiver Überwachungssoftware". www.amnesty.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ a b Becker, Sven; Buschmann, Rafael; Hoppenstedt, Max; Naber, Nicola; Rosenbach, Marcel (2023-10-05). "(S+) »Predator Files«: Wie Intellexa jahrelang Despoten mit Spionageprogrammen versorgte". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ Starks, Tim (2023-10-06). "Analysis | Meet the 'Predator Files,' the latest investigative project looking into spyware". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-10-06.
- ^ Mazzetti, Mark (2023-07-18). "U.S. Blacklists Two Spyware Firms Run by an Israeli Former General". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-06.