There reportedly is a specific iMessage that when received by an iPhone infected with Pegasus, will compromise the security of that particular device even if the user never opened the iMessage or had any interactions with it. By saying compromised, we mean that the user’s personal data can be accessed by the attacker. NSO Group says that it sells Pegasus only to governments as a way to help fight crime and terrorism. But it has been used by certain governments as spyware installed on the phones belonging to certain people.
While most Pegasus targets are high-profile journalists, political dissidents, executives of global companies, and lawyers, mobile device security firm iVerify wondered whether it could create a scan that any smartphone user could use and in five minutes make sure that they are free of being infected by Pegasus. In May, iVerify created the Mobile Threat Hunting feature for the iVerify app and used it on 2,500 self-scanned devices from its user base.
“When we launched our Mobile Threat Hunting feature we had no idea we were about to challenge everything the tech world thought it knew about mobile security. We created a solution that put powerful threat detection directly into users’ hands – a full mobile threat hunt scan completed in just five minutes, right on their smartphone.”-iVerify
With the 2,500 phones, the test discovered seven Pegasus infections. AS iVerify said, “We uncovered seven Pegasus infections – a number that might seem small, but represents a massive red flag in the world of mobile security.”
The iVerify app can discover if your phone has been infected with Pegasus. | Image credit-Apple
“The findings revealed a critical truth: we can only understand the real scope of mobile threats by looking closely. By democratizing malware detection, we’re not just protecting devices – we’re shining a light into the darkest corners of mobile security, giving users the power to understand and defend against threats that were previously invisible. This wasn’t just a technical achievement. It was a fundamental shift in how we approach mobile security – putting power back into the hands of users, one five-minute scan at a time.”-iVerify
You might not feel that you meet the criteria of a typical Pegasus target. But surely it has to be worth 99 cents to be able to install the app and send a diagnostic utility file to iVerify. Within hours, you will receive an analysis letting you know if your phone has been infected by Pegasus. Those who pay the 99 cents to install the app will be allowed to use the Mobile Threat Hunting tool for free once a month.