WhatsApp has announced the successful dismantling of a sophisticated spyware campaign that targeted journalists and members of civil society.
The attack, which compromised approximately 90 individuals, was carried out using spyware developed by the Israeli firm Paragon Solutions. According to WhatsApp, the perpetrators were neutralized in December 2024.
In a statement to The Guardian, the messaging platform confirmed that it had notified affected users and expressed “high confidence” that their devices had been compromised. However, the identity of those behind the attack and the duration of the operation remain unknown.
Experts believe the attackers exploited a “zero-click” vulnerability, a sophisticated exploit that allows spyware to be installed on a device without any interaction from the victim. It is likely that the malicious code was embedded in a specially crafted PDF file, which was distributed to users added to WhatsApp groups.
WhatsApp also disclosed that it had sent Paragon Solutions a cease-and-desist order and was considering additional legal actions. This marks the first instance in which the company’s technology has been publicly linked to unauthorized surveillance activities.
Like NSO Group, Paragon Solutions specializes in developing cyber-espionage tools, including Graphite, a spyware product designed for government agencies to combat cyber threats. In December 2024, the company was acquired by the U.S. investment firm AE Industrial Partners for $500 million.
On its official website, Paragon Solutions claims to develop “ethically driven tools” aimed at fighting crime and facilitating digital intelligence analysis.
In late 2022, reports emerged that Graphite had been used by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as part of its counter-narcotics operations. The following year, the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) urged the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to disclose details of a $2 million contract with Paragon Solutions.
News of this spyware campaign surfaced just weeks after a California court ruled in favor of WhatsApp in its lawsuit against NSO Group, which was accused of using the platform’s infrastructure to deploy Pegasus spyware in 2019.
Meta’s statement also coincided with the arrest of Zbigniew Ziobro, former Minister of Justice of Poland, who faces allegations of authorizing the use of Pegasus to surveil political opponents.
