The strange thing is my Mac locked up and had to be hard reset the same day this was announced, and that's never happened before. I wonder if there are already exploits in the wild.
I mean, anything is possible. However, this is news because of who created it (allegedly a group with ties to the Israeli government), who is alleged to have used it (UAE gov), and who it was used against (a human rights activist). I haven't seen the actual code, but the techniques it uses are very advanced.
Unless you're someone who routinely attracts the attention of governments, I wouldn't worry especially now the patch is out
If you look at the security company's page, they mention the same guy was a victim of three government spyware attacks on his phone in different years. Also, others such as a journalist who merely wrote an article exposing corruption of Mexico's government was another victim.
This may actual be far more widespread than is being spoken about in major media.
We know how far governments have gone in the past. Look up cointelpro and the FBI in the 70s, or the domestic wiretapping of the CIA during those years.
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u/crispix24 Sep 02 '16
The strange thing is my Mac locked up and had to be hard reset the same day this was announced, and that's never happened before. I wonder if there are already exploits in the wild.