Allegations that Amazon.com boss and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos had his ph...
WASHINGTON - Allegations that Amazon.com boss and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos had his phone hacked by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have put a spotlight on the security of smartphones and the secretive tools used to hack them.
Each one carries potential flaws - sometimes called bugs - that can cause a system to crash or behave unexpectedly when sent a rogue command or a malicious file. Even small openings like that can allow hackers to take control of a device. It is akin to illicitly lowering a coat hanger through a tiny seam in the car door to unlock a vehicle.
Once hackers are in, the possibilities are vast - and frightening. Anyone with full control of a smartphone can turn it into a powerful surveillance device, silently tracking users’ locations while quietly copying their emails, instant messages, photos and more. The document says the spyware can be installed by enticing targets to click malicious links or rogue text messages, but spies particularly prize the quieter “push message” installations that remotely and invisibly install themselves on users’ phones.NSO and other spyware vendors have long argued that their products are used responsibly - only sold to governments for legitimate purposes. NSO has denied any link to the alleged Bezos hack.
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