US Court Blocks Spyware Maker NSO Over WhatsApp Hack
Category:Industry News / Regulatory & Policy
A U.S. federal judge permanently enjoined NSO Group from reverse‑engineering or decompiling WhatsApp code and ordered deletion of related tooling, following a jury finding that NSO abused a zero‑day to compromise 1,400 devices. Damages were reduced to $4M, but the injunction stands, marking a major legal precedent against commercial spyware vendors.
CORTEX Protocol Intelligence Assessment
Business Impact: Heightened legal risk for spyware ecosystems; stronger precedent for platform protections. Technical Context: Prior zero‑day exploitation of WhatsApp; ongoing export control constraints for NSO.
Strategic Intelligence Guidance
- Review vendor risk where surveillance tooling is implicated.
- Update legal/compliance playbooks for spyware‑related exposure.
- Harden mobile fleets with exploit mitigations and app protections.
- Monitor for downstream retaliation or tactic shifts by clients.
Vendors
Threats
Targets
Impact
Data Volume:1,400 devices (compromised)
Financial:$4M (damages after reduction)
Intelligence Source: US Court Blocks Spyware Maker NSO Over WhatsApp Hack | Oct 21, 2025