EU Lawmaker Investigating Spyware Hacked with Pegasus

Stelios Kouloglou, a former Member of the European Parliament, was hacked with Pegasus spyware while serving on the PEGA Committee investigating the use of such surveillance tools in the EU. Citizen Lab confirmed three infections on his iPhone between October 2022 and March 2023, exploiting a zero-click vulnerability in Apple software. The first infection occurred on October 21, 2022, coinciding with intense committee activities, while the second and third infections took place on March 6 and 7, 2023, during critical discussions on the committee's final report. Kouloglou expressed shock at being targeted while investigating the very spyware used against him. The report highlights the risks posed to democratic processes by mercenary spyware, although no specific government has been identified as responsible for the attacks.

Key Points: • Stelios Kouloglou's phone was hacked three times using Pegasus spyware during his tenure on the PEGA Committee. • The attacks exploited a zero-click vulnerability in Apple software, allowing remote access to his device. • Citizen Lab's findings underscore the risks of spyware targeting democratic institutions, with no attribution to a specific government.