New revelations are bringing the issue of commercial spyware use back to the fore in Europe. According to a recent technical report by Citizen Lab, a University of Toronto research lab specializing in digital security and human rights, former MEP Stelios Kouloglou was allegedly repeatedly targeted by Pegasus software while he was a member of the European Parliament’s PEGA special committee.
The case takes on particular significance, as the committee was set up specifically to investigate the use and potential misuse of commercial spyware by governments and state agencies within the European Union. If the findings are fully confirmed, this would be an extremely unusual case where a member of the committee investigating Pegasus was allegedly targeted by the same software.
The three confirmed infections of the device
Citizen Lab researchers report that the first confirmed infection of the former MEP's mobile device was detected on October 21, 2022.At that time, the PEGA committee was working on the first draft of its findings on the use of surveillance software in Europe.
See also: NSO Group: $168 million fine for targeting WhatsApp users with Pegasus
Two more attacks followed on 6 and 7 March 2023, a few days before the committee's final report was due to be completed. The timing of the incidents is of great concern, as experts say Pegasus could have accessed sensitive communications, working documents and information related to the internal processes of the parliamentary inquiry.
Citizen Lab believes that such monitoring may affect the confidentiality of the European Parliament's work and raise issues concerning the parliamentary privileges of its members.
Stelios Kouloglou: The first known case of a PEGA member
According to the report, this is the first documented case in which a member of the PEGA committee itself appears to have been targeted by Pegasus. This fact lends particular significance to the case, as it highlights the risks faced even by those actively involved in the research and control of such technologies.
The researchers describe the development as extremely worrying, pointing out that the possibility of monitoring an MEP who deals with issues of transparency and protection of institutions raises serious questions about the security of European democratic processes.
No responsibility is attributed to a specific state
Despite the seriousness of the findings, Citizen Lab refrains from linking the attacks to a specific government or state agency. The report notes that no technical evidence was found to prove Greek government involvement.
On the contrary, the researchers found remarkable similarities between the first attack against Stelios Kouloglu and a previous Pegasus campaign that had targeted Russian and Belarusian journalists, as well as opposition figures in exile in European countries.
Based on the common technical characteristics, it is estimated that the attacks may have originated from the same Pegasus platform customer or from an entity with the ability to operate in more than one European country. However, the identity of the operator remains unknown.
See also: Pegasus Spyware targets private and financial sectors
The chronology of events
The timing of the attacks is also of particular interest. The first infection occurred when the former MEP was hospitalized in Greece, during which time he had been visited by journalist Thanasis Koukakis, who had already made public that he had been the target of both Predator and a legitimate connection.
The next two attacks were recorded while Stelios Kouloglou was traveling from Athens to Brussels for the final meetings of the PEGA committee, which reinforces the interest surrounding the time frame of the incidents.
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Pegasus still causes concern
Commenting on the new findings, Citizen Lab senior researcher John Scott-Railtondescribed the case as one of the most characteristic contradictions of the European crisis surrounding surveillance software, noting that even a researcher from Pegasus itself was eventually targeted.
At the same time, he criticized the European institutions, claiming that several of the PEGA committee's proposals were not implemented in practice, leaving open the possibility that similar incidents could be repeated in the future.
See also: Company leaders targeted by Pegasus spyware
Pegasus, developed by the Israeli NSO Group, continues to be at the center of international investigations and political controversy. Although the company claims that the software is intended solely to combat terrorism and organized crime, numerous revelations in recent years have linked its use to the surveillance of journalists, politicians, lawyers, activists and civil society leaders. The new Citizen Lab report shows that the debate around commercial spyware not only remains relevant, but continues to raise critical questions about privacy, accountability and the safeguarding of democratic institutions in Europe.
