How to Detect Pegasus Spyware on iOS

Pegasus spyware has been in talks for a while now and it is being said that there is no solution to avoid it. Pegasus is a spyware that is developed by the Israeli cyber firm, known as the NSO group. People are scared of it as it is a dangerous spyware that targets both Android and iOS. However, a challenge everyone might face is to know, if their device is affected by Pegasus spyware or not. You need not worry, as in this article we will discuss how to check if Pegasus spyware has affected you or not. This will be a guide helping you to detect Pegasus spyware on iOS. So without any further ado, let’s head into the article.

What is Pegasus Spyware?

Pegasus is a spyware virus and is developed by an Israeli cyber firm. It can secretly infiltrate your smartphone. Moreover, it is effective on both Android and iOS. Also, experts say that it can exploit the recent versions of iOS as well including iOS v14.6. You can identify if the Pegasus spyware has targetted your device or not by following the guide below.

How to Detect Pegasus Spyware on iOS

You can easily check if your smartphone is affected by Pegasus spyware or not. However, you will need some command-line/terminal-based technical skills and some patience. To check, you need a tool called (Mobile Verification Toolkit) MVT. The download link is available below after the steps. The tool is not much effective on Android, but it can detect some malicious apps, SMS, etc. Now you just need to follow the steps below:

• First, you will need to perform a backup of your device [by using iTunes or Finder app].
• Now you need to download the MVT tool [It also has instructions on how to use it].
• If you are using Mac to perform a check, then you will need to install Python 3 and Xcode from the App Store.
• Once done, you are ready to follow the MVTs instructions.
• If you face any issues while decrypting your backup, don’t worry just proceed with this guide.

Must Read | Top 5 Android Developer Options You Should Try Right Now

• Copy your backup folder to your PC in the downloads folder.

mvt-ios decrypt-backup -p PASSWORD -d decrypt ~/Desktop/bkp/orig

• Download stix2 file in your Mac’s download folder.
• Now use the command below to proceed:

-i ~/Downloads/pegasus.stix2

• Then use the final command to know the results:

mvt-ios check-backup -o logs –iocs ~/Downloads/pegasus.stix2 ~/Desktop/bkp/decrypt

Notes:

• ‘~/’ acts as a shortcut to your user folder.
• You need Mac or any Linux distro to perform this check.
• Use the commands as mentioned in the Amnesty folder. As our commands might vary or the tool might get a newer version.

Download MVT Tool

That’s it guys for this post. Keep an eye out on TechBurner for more such articles!!