Israeli Cyber Company Reportedly Found Selling iPhone Spyware to Saudi Arabia
Israeli cyber company Quadream, which specializes in developing technological solutions to extract data from smartphones and track people's locations, has been selling its services to Saudi Arabia since 2019, Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported on Tuesday citing sources and documents it has obtained.
According to Haaretz, Quadream was founded in 2016 by three
Israeli nationals — two cyber security experts and a former senior official in
Israel's military intelligence.
The company uses a front in Cyprus to sell its Reign
spyware, which, Haaretz claims, allows the extraction of all data from iPhones,
remote control of the camera, eavesdropping, and tracking of the location of
the device's user without their knowledge.
Under Israeli regulations, such sensitive technology can be
exported under the supervision of defense experts who make sure it does not
fall into the hands of terrorists and is not used for illegal purposes or
political persecution.
However, the Haaretz noted that Quadream can sell its
hacking tools with no oversight through its Cyprus front. The buyers include
both "legitimate" countries and those that are considered oppressive
by the international community, including Saudi Arabia and Ghana, the newspaper
said, citing a source. Quadream has been working with Riyadh since 2019,
Haaretz added.
The virus can infect iPhones directly, without the owner
having to click a malware link as such hacking tools usually require, Haaretz
said, citing the company's sales documents. Moreover, the newspaper said citing
sources familiar with Quadream, Reign cannot be remotely deactivated by the
developer, unlike similar tools offered by competitors.
Reign spyware also works on the majority of Android
smartphones, but a special link is required in this case, the report said.
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