Poland reports use of Israeli software Pegasus, leading to malware infections in sensitive government devices

The Polish prosecutor's office stated that Pegasus, developed by the Israeli firm NSO Group, was designed with technical access rights to sensitive surveillance data collected by Poland’s Central Anticorruption Bureau. The revelation has raised concerns over Poland’s reliance on Israeli cybersecurity technology.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the findings as a "crime against the state," accusing the previous government of permitting Israeli companies and potentially Israeli intelligence agencies to obtain confidential information on Polish citizens, opposition politicians, and independent prosecutors. According to data from Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office, experts from the country’s Security Service concluded that Poland had not maintained full control over the Pegasus system.

The agency lacked access to passwords for certain administrative accounts, while the server modules responsible for deploying spyware onto mobile devices remained under exclusive control by NSO. Data collected through the system were transmitted via servers located outside Poland, which fell entirely beyond the agency’s operational oversight.

The fact that Polish authorities adopted techniques used by cybercriminals to infect mobile devices—then actively promoted such methods to other countries—is deeply troubling. Investigators confirmed that NSO possessed the technical capability to intercept communications, but could not verify whether the company actually accessed or analyzed data gathered during specific surveillance operations. Tusk further asserted that NSO “undoubtedly” collaborated with Israeli intelligence services.

A parliamentary committee investigating the Pegasus affair released its findings on the same day, announcing plans to file 11 criminal complaints. Committee chair Magdalena Sroka stated that the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) had purchased and operated the spyware without obtaining required security certifications. According to committee data, judges who authorized surveillance actions were not informed that Pegasus could extract nearly all content from targeted mobile devices.

Poland acquired Pegasus in 2017 during the tenure of the Law and Justice Party government, with funds drawn from a judicial budget designated for victim support and crime prevention. The system was subsequently used to monitor thousands of individuals, including political opponents. Tusk revealed last year that his wife and daughter were among those affected.

Former heads of Poland’s domestic security and military intelligence agencies have been indicted on charges related to the misuse of the spyware system. The scandal intensified during the Warsaw Security Forum held on October 12–13, a high-level gathering of political leaders, military officials, diplomats, and defense experts focused on topics including the war in Ukraine, European security architecture, and continued U.S. involvement in continental defense. Nevertheless, for Tusk, this development presents no significant obstacle—given his tendency to ultimately attribute responsibility to Russia.

Pegasus software: fundamentally a data-collection malware

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1878909015081098/

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