WhatsApp told TechCrunch that it believed the hacking campaign happened in December, and that it sent a cease and desist letter to Paragon. Idan Nurick, the CEO of Paragon, did not respond to a request for comment sent via LinkedIn. AE Industrial did not respond to a request for comment.

Meta Platforms Inc.’s WhatsApp messenger service said it disrupted a hacking campaign linked to Israeli spyware firm Paragon.WhatsApp detected efforts to hack the phones of approximately 90 people, including journalists and members of civil society,

WhatsApp uncovered a hacking campaign using Paragon spyware, targeting journalists and civil society members. The attack aimed to breach devices through malicious files shared on the platform