Pegasus spyware scandal uncovered by fake image file on an iPhone

The scandal over NSO Group's Pegasus spyware was uncovered by a single fake image file mistakenly left on an activist's iPhone, a report states, a discovery that prompted international outcry over privacy.

In July, it was reported that spyware known as Pegasus was used to hack smartphones, including iPhones, owned by journalists, activists, and others of interest to some governments around the world. While dozens of smartphones were found to be successfully hacked by the tool, an investigation at the time determined that more than 50,000 phone numbers were of interest to users of the tool.The investigation led to further scrutiny of Pegasus, NSO Group, and governments who use the tool for surveillance purposes. However, the entire scandal only became known about due to a fake image file discovered earlier that year.

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