Meta said it caught and disrupted spear-phishing attempts by NSO Group targeting a handful of WhatsApp users in Jordan and Lebanon, as well as the creation of test accounts and groups, despite a permanent U.S. court order barring the Israeli-founded spyware firm from targeting the platform.
Meta announced on Wednesday that it had detected and neutralized a fresh campaign by NSO Group targeting WhatsApp users in Jordan and Lebanon. The company said it identified "spear phishing attempts" aimed at a handful of specific users, alongside the creation of "test accounts and groups" on the platform.
The Israeli-founded spyware firm, now under U.S. ownership, was permanently barred in 2025 from targeting WhatsApp or its users after losing a court case to Meta. The original $167 million judgment was later reduced to $4 million, but the permanent injunction remained in force. Meta's latest disclosure suggests NSO has continued its activities in violation of that order, this time focusing on targets in Jordan and Lebanon.
As The Zioneer reported on June 8, WhatsApp had separately asked a U.S. federal court to sanction NSO Group over alleged violations of the same court order. Monday's announcement adds technical detail on the attempted intrusions and names specific countries where users were targeted.
NSO Group is best known for developing Pegasus, the spyware software that infiltrated devices to harvest messages, photos, calls and other data. The company has not publicly responded to Meta's latest claims. No information has been released on which specific users were targeted or whether any devices were successfully compromised.
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