{"id":3093687,"date":"2026-02-17T16:01:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=3093687"},"modified":"2026-02-17T17:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T01:21:07","slug":"intellexas-predator-spyware-used-to-hack-iphone-of-journalist-in-angola-research-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/02\/17\/intellexas-predator-spyware-used-to-hack-iphone-of-journalist-in-angola-research-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Intellexa&#8217;s Predator spyware used to hack iPhone of journalist in Angola, research says"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A government customer of sanctioned spyware maker Intellexa hacked the phone of a prominent journalist in Angola, according to Amnesty International, the latest case of targeting someone in civil society with powerful phone-hacking software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The human rights organization <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/securitylab.amnesty.org\/latest\/2026\/02\/journalism-under-attack-predator-spyware-in-angola\/\">published a new report<\/a> Tuesday analyzing several hacking attempts against local journalist and press freedom activist Teixeira C\u00e2ndido, in which he was sent a series of malicious links via WhatsApp during 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">C\u00e2ndido eventually clicked on one and his iPhone was hacked with Intellexa&#8217;s spyware, dubbed Predator, Amnesty found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new research shows again that government customers of <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/04\/25\/techcrunch-reference-guide-to-security-terminology\/#spyware-commercial-government\">commercial surveillance vendors<\/a> are increasingly using spyware to target journalists, politicians, and other ordinary citizens, including critics. Researchers have previously found evidence of Predator abuse in <a href=\"https:\/\/citizenlab.ca\/research\/predator-in-the-wires-ahmed-eltantawy-targeted-with-predator-spyware-after-announcing-presidential-ambitions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Egypt<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/fom.coe.int\/en\/alerte\/detail\/107637431\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Greece<\/a>, and Vietnam, where the government <a href=\"http:\/\/washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2023\/10\/09\/vietnam-predator-hack-investigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">reportedly targeted U.S. officials<\/a> by sending the spyware via links on X.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-shortcode\">\t\t<div class=\"article-block block--callout block--right has-green-500-background-color\" >\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"block--callout__title\">Contact Us<\/h4>\n\t\t\tDo you have more information about Intellexa? Or other spyware makers? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or <a href=\"mailto:lorenzo@techcrunch.com\/\">email<\/a><a href=\"mailto:lorenzo@techcrunch.com\/\">.<\/a>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Intellexa is one of the most controversial spyware makers of the last few years, operating from different jurisdictions to skirt export laws and using an \u201copaque web of corporate entities\u201d \u2014 as a U.S government official <a href=\"https:\/\/therecord.media\/us-hits-intellexa-sanctions-treasury\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">put it<\/a> at the time \u2014 to hide its activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, around the same time one of Intellexa&#8217;s customers was targeting C\u00e2ndido with its spyware, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2024\/03\/05\/us-sanctions-founder-of-spyware-maker-intellexa-for-targeting-americans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the outgoing Biden administration sanctioned<\/a> the company, as well as its founder Tal Dilian and his business partner Sara Aleksandra Fayssal Hamou.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier this year, the Treasury <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/trump-administration-removes-three-spyware-linked-executives-sanctions-list-2025-12-30\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">lifted sanctions<\/a> against three other executives tied to Intellexa, a decision that left Senate Democrats <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/news\/articles\/2026-02-13\/senate-democrats-demand-answers-on-us-lifting-spyware-sanctions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">demanding answers<\/a> from the Trump administration.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dilian did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"806\" height=\"765\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png\" alt=\"two screenshots side by side of whatsapp messages sent to the Angolan journalist.\" class=\"wp-image-3093733\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png 806w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=150,142 150w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=300,285 300w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=768,729 768w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=680,645 680w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=430,408 430w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=720,683 720w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=800,759 800w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=668,634 668w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=395,375 395w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=650,617 650w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=559,531 559w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/intellexa-angola-phishing-message.png?resize=50,47 50w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 806px) 100vw, 806px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-element-caption__text\">An example of a malicious link sent by the hackers to C\u00e2ndido on WhatsApp.<\/span><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>Amnesty International<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amnesty researchers wrote in the report that they linked the intrusions to Intellexa by examining forensic traces found on C\u00e2ndido\u2019s phone. Amnesty said that Intellexa used infection servers that had been previously linked to the company&#8217;s spyware infrastructure.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several hours after clicking on the link that led to his phone hack, C\u00e2ndido rebooted his phone, which wiped the spyware from his device. Amnesty said it wasn&#8217;t clear how the spyware was capable of hacking C\u00e2ndido&#8217;s phone, as his phone was running an outdated version of iOS at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The researchers found that Predator stayed hidden by impersonating legitimate iOS system processes to avoid detection.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amnesty believes C\u00e2ndido may be just one of many targets in the country, based on their findings that they were able to find multiple domains linked to the spyware maker used in Angola.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe first domains linked to Angola were deployed as early as March 2023, indicating the start of Predator testing or deployment in the country,\u201d wrote the Amnesty researchers, who added that they had no evidence to determine exactly who hacked C\u00e2ndido.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt is not currently possible to conclusively identify the customer of the Predator spyware in the country,\u201d read the report.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, based on leaks of internal documents, Amnesty and media organizations revealed that Intellexa employees <a href=\"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/12\/04\/sanctioned-spyware-maker-intellexa-had-direct-access-to-government-espionage-victims-researchers-say\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">had the ability to access customers\u2019 systems remotely<\/a>, potentially giving the spyware maker visibility into government surveillance operations.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those leaks, like this report, shows that despite its controversies and sanctions, Intellexa has remained active in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe&#8217;ve now seen confirmed abuses in Angola, Egypt, Pakistan, Greece, and beyond \u2014 and for every case we uncover, many more abuses surely remain hidden,&#8221; said Donncha \u00d3 Cearbhaill, the head of the security lab at Amnesty International.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Amnesty International says it found evidence that a government customer of Intellexa, a sanctioned surveillance vendor, used its Predator spyware against a prominent journalist in Angola. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574594,"featured_media":3093696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tc-featured-article":false,"tc-header-option":"","tc-breaking-news":false,"tc-article-brief":false,"carmot_uuid":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-02-18T00:01:24Z","apple_news_api_id":"7ba0afc5-c221-435f-8efd-b1e24136385b","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-02-18T01:21:06Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ae6CvxcIhQ1-O_bHiQTY4Ww","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"tc_subtitle":"","tc_featured_image_disabled":false,"tc_exclude_from_rss_feed":false,"tc_exclude_from_content_rivers":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21587494],"tags":[9944,577370514,965824,577235760,311796,3279,5448,21053],"tc_region":[],"tc_event":[],"tc_storyline_tax":[],"coauthors":[577104450],"class_list":["post-3093687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security","tag-amnesty-international","tag-angola","tag-cybersecurity","tag-intellexa","tag-predator","tag-privacy","tag-spyware","tag-surveillance"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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