Super spyware maker NSO must pay Meta $168M in WhatsApp court battle

Meta engineers discovered a 2019 zero-click, zero-day WhatsApp vulnerability exploited by NSO Group's Pegasus spyware to install malware via a single phone call; Pegasus grants full access to device data (messages, calls, location, camera/microphone) and reportedly compromised ~1,400 accounts. The article describes Pegasus's sophisticated use of zero-days, NSO's government-customer model, subsequent legal battles including Apple joining suits, and a jury awarding Meta over $167M, while noting ongoing concerns that Pegasus remains capable of compromising iOS and Android devices.