French govt agency confirms Pegasus hack

New Delhi: In a first, ANSSI, the French cyber-security agency has confirmed the presence of spyware 'Pegasus' on two journalists' phones, Mediapart reported on Thursday. The two journalists work for Mediapart, a French online investigative journal. "The study carried out by [ANSSI] reached the same conclusions as those of Amnesty International's Security Lab on the reality of the Pegasus infection, on its modalities, dates and duration," read Mediapart's report.

The online journal is part of the international media consortium that brought the investigation on the snooping row to light. The probe said that the Israeli spyware was used in attempted or successful hacks of smartphones using malware. Messages and call records could be extracted with the malware and it could even activate microphones in disguise.

Over 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including those belonging to two Union ministers, over 40 journalists and three opposition leaders besides scores of businesspersons and activists, are enlisted as targets of the spyware. The snooping row has brought a stalemate of sorts during in the Monsson Session of Parliament which is underway since July 19. Pleas have also been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a CJI-led judicial probe into the case. the BJP-led government has, however, denied the allegations.