Detect Pegasus malware on iOS for free using admin app iMazing

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited August 2021
File transfer tool iMazing has added a free feature that makes it easier for iPhone and iPad users to detect traces of the Pegasus spyware on their devices.

Credit: iMazing
Credit: iMazing


In version 2.14 of iMazing, the company has added a new "Spyware Detector" tool that's inspired by the Mobile Verification Toolkit created by Amnesty International.

The Spyware Detector feature examines a new or existing iPhone and iPad backup on a user's Mac or PC. It then issues a report that allows a user's to examine a device for Pegasus tracks.

Additionally, the tool is being provided for free. Users must simply download the latest version of iMazing on PC or Mac. The feature is built into the platform and doesn't require purchasing a license.

The addition of the feature makes it easier for iPhone and iPad users to detect traces of the Pegasus spyware without dealing with the command line or Amnesty's MVT source code. However, while the analyzer is open-source, it's built on iMazing's existing closed-source toolkit.

iMazing points out that its tool doesn't stop a Pegasus infection -- it'll only detect it. The Spyware Detector feature also isn't able to analyze file system dumps from jailbroken devices.

Earlier in 2021, reports indicated that the NSO Group-developed Pegasus Spyware was being used to spy on activists and journalists by authoritarian governments. The spyware, which could infect even the latest iPhone models without user interaction, has sparked controversy and government investigations

More information and detailed instructions are available on iMazing's website.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,198member
    Giving a 3rd party access to a backup is risky.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 8
    byronlbyronl Posts: 362member
    cpsro said:
    Giving a 3rd party access to a backup is risky.
    Isn't is kept on-device?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 8
    libertyforalllibertyforall Posts: 1,418member
    What about Apple providing detection?!  

    Remediation from Apple?!  

    Why is Apple silent on both fronts?  
    williamlondon
  • Reply 4 of 8
    mknelsonmknelson Posts: 1,125member
    byronl said:
    cpsro said:
    Giving a 3rd party access to a backup is risky.
    Isn't is kept on-device?
    Yup. iMazing is very useful, well established software. I have never seen any concerns that it uploads any data.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 8
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    libertyforall said:
    What about Apple providing detection?!  

    Remediation from Apple?!  

    Why is Apple silent on both fronts?  
    👎
  • Reply 6 of 8
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    So we have a bunch of obsessive, compulsive, irrational users scared to death of Pegasus malware when every security expert says the only people who need to worry about it are those whom a government might want to track. No, your 16 year old nephew isn’t going to use Pegasus to hack your iPhone. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 8
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,198member
    byronl said:
    cpsro said:
    Giving a 3rd party access to a backup is risky.
    Isn't is kept on-device?
    Without adequate controls, after you provide access to your on-device backup to a 3rd party app, your data may no longer be just on-device.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    IreneWIreneW Posts: 303member
    lkrupp said:
    So we have a bunch of obsessive, compulsive, irrational users scared to death of Pegasus malware when every security expert says the only people who need to worry about it are those whom a government might want to track. No, your 16 year old nephew isn’t going to use Pegasus to hack your iPhone. 
    Well, isn't that reason enough to worry? You know, in a lot of countries the government sees a lot of reasons to track a lot of people.
    The world _is_ larger than the US, and not even democratic countries are safe from populist regimes running amok...

    The last days debate about Apple's image scanning really surprised me, with so many Americans saying "if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about". While in Europe, where people traditionally have more trust in institutions and government, there is a huge movement and public pressure to keep data private.
    edited August 2021 maltz
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