Israeli “Predator” Spyware Used against Pakistani Human Rights Defender

DID Press: A new investigation has found that Intellexa, the Israeli company behind the “Predator” spyware, continues operating despite international sanctions and has deployed its advanced surveillance tools against various targets, including individuals in Pakistan.

Predator is a “one-click” spyware system capable of covertly infiltrating target devices and harvesting sensitive data such as messages, photos, location information, and audio recordings. It also enables remote monitoring and control of infected devices.

According to a joint report by Haaretz, Inside Story, and the research group WAV Research Collective, leaked documents show that Intellexa personnel retain access to clients’ surveillance systems and can view data collected through Predator—activities that extend beyond what the company has publicly acknowledged and raise serious questions about its responsibility and accountability.

The documents also reveal the development of a new infection method called “Aladdin,” an online malicious advertising technique that can compromise devices without any user interaction. This “zero-click” vulnerability makes espionage operations significantly more covert and harder to detect.

In Pakistan, the disclosures indicate that Predator was used against a human rights defender in Balochistan. The individual reportedly received a suspicious WhatsApp link that subsequent investigations linked to Intellexa’s spyware. This case is the first confirmed instance of Predator’s use in Pakistan.

A senior Pakistani intelligence official dismissed the allegations as “baseless,” claiming the report was designed to undermine the country. However, technical and forensic analyses from Amnesty International’s Security Lab suggest the situation is far more complex than Pakistani authorities admit.

Predator continuously transmits stolen data to a remote server for further analysis or operational use, all while remaining hidden from the user and running silently in the device’s background.

Intellexa was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2024 for selling spyware to multiple governments, but the new revelations show that the company’s activities have not been significantly disrupted.