"Vietnam accused of Predator spyware attack on EU and US politicians" 10 October 2023

Amnesty International has accused the government of Vietnam of acquiring the notorious Predator spyware and using it for nefarious ends – including attempts to infect US and European lawmakers. The human rights org on Monday published a report titled "The Predator Files: Caught in the Net" that details the use of spyware and its impact on human rights.

Predator is the product of a group called Intellexa that has earned itself a place on the US's list of banned tech. Analysis of the spyware suggests that when present on an Android smartphone it can record audio and steal info from messaging apps – and do it after zero-click installs that leave users oblivious to its presence.

The report suggests that one of Intellexa's clients is the government of Vietnam and details the activities of a defunct X/Twitter account that used the handle @JOSEPH_GORDON16. In Amnesty's telling, @JOSEPH_GORDON16 posted messages that bore links to Intellexa servers and which, if clicked, would likely have installed Predator.

Amnesty asserts the account targeted "a Berlin-based independent news website, political figures in the European Parliament, the European Commission, academic researchers, and think tanks. In addition to these, other attempted targets include United Nations officials, the president of Taiwan, United States senators and representatives, and other diplomatic authorities."...

[According to the Press Release] Amnesty International reached out to the entities involved for comment but received no response. However, EIC did receive a response from the main shareholders and former executives of Nexa group, who claim that the Intellexa alliance has ceased to exist.