• Latest
  • All
  • How To
Egyptian Ahmed Eltantawy iPhone targeted by predator

iPhone Spyware Alert: New Predator Exploit Chain Unearthed

September 25, 2023
Android Canary release channel

Google Launches Android Canary Release Channel for Developers

July 11, 2025
Japan Internet Speed

Japan Records World’s Fastest Internet Speed at 1.02 petabits Per Second

July 11, 2025
Bitchat

Jack Dorsey Launches Bitchat, a Bluetooth-Only Messaging App

July 10, 2025
YouTube AI slop is getting demonetized

YouTube Declares War on Low-Effort AI Videos via Demonetization

July 10, 2025
DHgate Tablet Cases deals
Why Can'y You Register a Safaricom SIM Card After 7 PM

Why You Cannot Register a Safaricom SIM Card After 7 PM

July 10, 2025
Former Safaricom Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Cynthia Karuri-Kropac

Frankline Okata Takes Over as Cynthia Karuri-Kropac Exits Safaricom PLC

July 10, 2025
AI

OpenAI and Perplexity Launch Browsers to Rival Google Chrome

July 10, 2025
Vivo-Y29-4G

Vivo Y29 Launches in Kenya at KES 23,999

July 10, 2025
galaxy z fold7-galaxy z flip7-samsung

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 with Bigger Screens

July 10, 2025
GTA VI

Rockstar May Be Testing 96-Player Servers for GTA 6

July 10, 2025
Former X CEO, Linda Yaccarino

Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years

July 9, 2025
Apple-WWDC25-iOS-26

iPhone Users Are Not Too Happy With the iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design

July 9, 2025
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
No Result
View All Result

iPhone Spyware Alert: New Predator Exploit Chain Unearthed

Sakwa Kombo by Sakwa Kombo
September 25, 2023
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
265
0
Egyptian Ahmed Eltantawy iPhone targeted by predator

Citizen Lab and Google’s Threat Analysis Group have discovered an iPhone exploit chain designed to install Predator spyware on iOS versions through 16.6.1. This suggests that the spyware made use of a never-before-seen exploit in the iPhone’s software to infect the phones.

Consequently, Citizen Lab contacted Apple about the exploit. In response, Apple released an update that patched the bugs in iOS 16.7 and iOS 17.0.1. Therefore, iOS users are encouraged to update their iPhones to protect themselves from the Predator Spyware.

The spyware was discovered by Maddie Stone a Security Researcher at Google’s Threat Analysis Group (TAG) and Bill Marczak, a Senior researcher at Citizen Lab. Predator spyware can access a phone’s cameras and microphone and can export the phone’s data.

However, it is not a zero-click spyware. Hence, it requires a user to click on it to infect a device.

Not the First Predator Discovery

Notably, this is not the first time the Predator spyware has been discovered on iPhones. In 2021, Citizen Lab found the spyware developed by Cytrox had infected iPhones belonging to two Egyptian politicians. Moreover, it is another spyware infiltrating iPhones discovered in recent weeks.

In early September, Citizen Lab discovered the Pegasus spyware that was able to exploit all Apple devices. This prompted Apple to rush out operating system updates for iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, and Apple Watches to patch the associated vulnerabilities.

Predator Targeting Egyptian Politician

This is a case of surveillance-for-hire outfits deploying an exploit to steal information from a victim’s iPhone. A leading Egyptian opposition politician Ahmed Eltantawy approached Citizen Lab after he suspected he was a target.

Upon, performing forensic analysis it emerged he was targeted with spyware several times. The attacks began soon after he declared his candidacy in the 2024 Egyptian presidential race. The Egyptian government is known to deploy surveillance spyware. As mentioned before, an earlier version of Predator was discovered on Egyptian politician’s iPhones.

According to the Citizen Lab blog, in August and September 2023, Eltantawy visited websites not using HTTPS. When this happened, he was automatically redirected to a malicious website to infect his phone with the Cytrox’s spyware.

“The spyware was delivered via network injection from a device located physically inside Egypt, we attribute the network injection attack to the Egyptian government” wrote Citizen Lab.

Visiting a website using ‘HTTP’ can allow an attacker to intercept user traffic and send malicious data that forces a user to a different website.

Further, in what was a Smishing attack, Eltantawy received several SMS messages in May 2023 and September 2023 that posed as messages originating from WhatsApp. He was prompted by the malicious text to click on a Link. In November 2021, the politician’s phone was infected with Cytrox’s Predator spyware. This was via a text message containing a link to a Predator website.

When he got the messages with links this year Eltantawy did not engage with these suspect links.

As a digital native, always be aware of Smishing attacks and avoid sites that do not have HTTPS encryption for secure communication over a computer network.

Tags: AppleCybersecurity
SendShare147Tweet92
Sakwa Kombo

Sakwa Kombo

My Bio is in my written articles.

Related Posts

Apple-WWDC25-iOS-26

iPhone Users Are Not Too Happy With the iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design

July 9, 2025
ios 26-facetime

iOS 26 May Pause Video if You Start Undressing on FaceTime

July 3, 2025
apple iphone foldable

Apple Begins Testing Its First Foldable iPhone

July 3, 2025
DeepSeek_vs_ChatGPT

Hackers Build Malware That Tries to Reprogram AI Security Tools

July 1, 2025
tackling Bank Fraud, Sextortion, and Ransomware in Kenya

Kenya Facing Rise in Cyberthreats from Bank Fraud, Sextortion, and Ransomware

July 1, 2025
Kenya cyber threats 2025

Kenya Detects Over 2.5 Billion Cyber Threats in Three Months

June 30, 2025

Latest

Android Canary release channel

Google Launches Android Canary Release Channel for Developers

July 11, 2025
Japan Internet Speed

Japan Records World’s Fastest Internet Speed at 1.02 petabits Per Second

July 11, 2025
Bitchat

Jack Dorsey Launches Bitchat, a Bluetooth-Only Messaging App

July 10, 2025
YouTube AI slop is getting demonetized

YouTube Declares War on Low-Effort AI Videos via Demonetization

July 10, 2025
Why Can'y You Register a Safaricom SIM Card After 7 PM

Why You Cannot Register a Safaricom SIM Card After 7 PM

July 10, 2025
Former Safaricom Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Cynthia Karuri-Kropac

Frankline Okata Takes Over as Cynthia Karuri-Kropac Exits Safaricom PLC

July 10, 2025

Best devices

budget smartwatches 2025

Best Budget Smartwatches To Buy in Kenya 2025

February 13, 2025

Best Infinix Smartphones To Buy in Kenya 2024

February 13, 2025

Best Laptops for Battery Life in 2024

August 21, 2024

Best “Battery Warrior” Smartphones To Buy in 2024

August 22, 2024

Google Launches Android Canary Release Channel for Developers

July 11, 2025

Japan Records World’s Fastest Internet Speed at 1.02 petabits Per Second

July 11, 2025

Techweez is a fast growing influential source of technology news, reviews and analysis by leading tech geeks in the industry.

Follow Us

Editorials

Abductions and Arrests! Kenyan Government’s Fear and Hate of X Users Makes No Sense

Actors and Film Crews Are Worried About Veo 3 Taking Their Jobs

Samsung QLED TVs Now Officially Certified for Real Quantum Dot Technology

Trump’s Tariffs Will Be the End of Affordable Tech

5 Ways to Prep Your Tech for Resale

The Weaponization of PDFs: How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting a Trusted Format

More News

OpenAI and Perplexity Launch Browsers to Rival Google Chrome

Vivo Y29 Launches in Kenya at KES 23,999

Samsung Unveils Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 with Bigger Screens

Rockstar May Be Testing 96-Player Servers for GTA 6

Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years

iPhone Users Are Not Too Happy With the iOS 26 Liquid Glass Design

  • Terms Of Use
  • Techweez Brand
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!

Hey there! Just a heads-up: we're big fans of cookies - both the digital and edible kind! 🍪 We use our cookies and some from third parties to ensure your browsing experience on our site is smooth sailing and secure.

 

But wait, there's more! We also use cookies to gather stats and insights on how you navigate our site. It's like getting a behind-the-scenes peek at your digital adventures!

 

Don't worry, you're in control. You can adjust your cookie settings anytime to suit your preferences. Feeling curious? Dive into our Privacy Policy for all the juicy details. Happy browsing! 🚀

Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
  • Automotive
  • Entertainment

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.