WhatsApp says spyware maker NSO Group is still targeting its users

Meta is once again asking a court to intervene in its long-running battle against spyware maker NSO Group. The company says it's disrupted a spearfishing attempt that targeted WhatsApp users and is now asking a federal court to hold NSO in contempt.

Meta's battle with the company behind the infamous Pegasus spyware dates back to 2019, when it sued the "cyber intelligence" firm for targeting human rights activists, journalists, political dissidents and others. A jury last year awarded Meta $167 million in damages, which was later reduced by a judge to $4 million. That judgment also came with a permanent injunction that banned NSO from targeting WhatsApp and its users.

Less than a year later, Meta says it's caught NSO violating the terms of that order. According to the company, it caught a cluster of NSO-linked accounts that were attempting to trick WhatsApp users into clicking on malicious links that were similar to other phishing campaigns that have been tied to the spyware maker. According to a Meta spokesperson, the latest phishing campaign targeted fewer than 10 WhatsApp users who were "primarily" in Jordan and Lebanon.

"We have not seen signs of compromise among identified targets," the spokesperson said. In its disclosure, Meta shared the domains it identified that were associated with the phishing campaign so that others can check if they have been targeted on WhatsApp or another platform.

We've reached out to NSO Group for comment and will update if we hear back.