Spyware used against MEP investigating Pegasus abuses, report finds
Summary
A member of the European Parliament, Stelios Kouloglou, was repeatedly targeted with spyware made by NSO Group while investigating the misuse of this software in Europe. Researchers from Citizen Lab found signs that the attacks were related to past hacking campaigns against journalists but could not identify which government was responsible.Key Facts
- Stelios Kouloglou, a Greek MEP and journalist, was targeted by Pegasus spyware during his work on a European parliamentary committee investigating spyware abuses.
- The spyware used was made by NSO Group, an Israeli company that sells it to governments for security purposes.
- Kouloglou’s phone was first infected in October 2022 during an intense period of committee activity, and again in March 2023 as the committee was finalizing its report.
- The committee investigating Pegasus abuses is called Pega and was created in March 2022 after the Pegasus Project exposed government spying on journalists and activists.
- Citizen Lab could not identify which government used the spyware against Kouloglou but noted similarities to previous attacks on Russian and Belarusian journalists living in Europe.
- Kouloglou was hacked while hospitalized and in contact with another journalist who was also targeted by spyware in Greece.
- This is the first time a member of the Pega committee has been confirmed as a spyware target.
- Experts warn that other European politicians may be unknowingly hacked with spyware.
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