Pegasus Spyware Returns in Serbian Surveillance Campaign via Zero-Click iMessage Exploit
A Serbian student activist's iPhone was infected with the Pegasus spyware through a zero-click exploit in iMessage, allowing silent installation without any user interaction. The infection, confirmed by Citizen Lab in collaboration with the SHARE Foundation, showed indicators of compromise between December 2025 and January 2026. Apple later sent the target a notification warning of a mercenary spyware attack attempt. The exploit granted full access to photos, messages, files, and enabled covert microphone and camera activation. The vulnerability was addressed in the iOS 18.4.1 update released on April 16, 2025. The incident forms part of a wider surveillance wave in Serbia, with at least 14 individuals including students, activists, a parliament member, and a local political representative receiving similar Apple alerts. Additional targets were hit with Android spyware variants linked to NoviSpy.
BoletimSecSep 4, 2026Translated from Portuguese