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FTA: It appears that the company that provided the spyware and the zero-day exploits to the hackers targeting Mansoor is a little-known Israeli surveillance ven

FTA: It appears that the company that provided the spyware and the zero-day exploits to the hackers targeting Mansoor is a little-known Israeli surveillance vendor called NSO, which Lookout’s vice president of research Mike Murray labeled as “basically a cyber arms dealer.” Phineas Fisher, we need you now.

api 10y ago
So we have cyber arms dealers now. I continue to be amazed at the prophecies of William Gibson. Makes me wonder if there's anything to "remote viewing." Did he just look forward into the 21st century and write down what he saw? :) BRB, gonna go slot me an icebreaker...
- imron 10y ago
  > So we have cyber arms dealers now. See https://www.zerodium.com/program.html https://www.zerodium.com/program.html Someone who discovers/developers a remote Jailbreak like this can apparently sell it for a cool half-million.
  - contingencies 10y ago
    For iOS, $500k was quoted in HN-featured media recently. However, $750k was quoted on HN in response to a query perhaps two years ago.
    - imron 10y ago
      The same company I linked above issued a $1 million bounty for an iOS remote jailbreak vuln late last year (for a maximum of 3 different winners). By the time the bounty expired only 1 team had won. https://www.zerodium.com/ios9.html https://www.zerodium.com/ios9.html So pricing has some fluidity, but you're looking at at least 500k.
- strictnein 10y ago
  > "So we have cyber arms dealers now." Yep. And even middle men who will clear 7 figures taking a 15% fee. A dated article, but it has a "price list" of sorts, which is interesting: http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shopping-for-zero-days-an-price-list-for-hackers-secret-software-exploits/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shoppin...
- meowface 10y ago
  There are many private firms in the US doing the exact same thing, and have for years, except they sell exclusively to the US government/NSA. Not sure if it's more or less profitable than being a freelance "cyber arms trafficker".
- digi_owl 10y ago
  I think Gibson's explanation is that the future is here, it's just not evenly distributed yet. Others like Doctorow and Stross has voiced similar views. In Stross' case, he apparently shelved the third part of a trilogy because the NSA was outpacing him.
  - 13of40 10y ago
    Yep, apparently he did: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/12/psa-why-there-wont-be-a-third-.html http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/12/psa-why-...
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
RubyMyDear 10y ago
This is just speculation. They'd have no reason to "target Mansoor" even if they had the capability.

api 10y ago

So we have cyber arms dealers now. I continue to be amazed at the prophecies of William Gibson. Makes me wonder if there's anything to "remote viewing." Did he just look forward into the 21st century and write down what he saw? :) BRB, gonna go slot me an icebreaker...

imron 10y ago
> So we have cyber arms dealers now. See https://www.zerodium.com/program.html https://www.zerodium.com/program.html Someone who discovers/developers a remote Jailbreak like this can apparently sell it for a cool half-million.
- contingencies 10y ago
  For iOS, $500k was quoted in HN-featured media recently. However, $750k was quoted on HN in response to a query perhaps two years ago.
  - imron 10y ago
    The same company I linked above issued a $1 million bounty for an iOS remote jailbreak vuln late last year (for a maximum of 3 different winners). By the time the bounty expired only 1 team had won. https://www.zerodium.com/ios9.html https://www.zerodium.com/ios9.html So pricing has some fluidity, but you're looking at at least 500k.
strictnein 10y ago
> "So we have cyber arms dealers now." Yep. And even middle men who will clear 7 figures taking a 15% fee. A dated article, but it has a "price list" of sorts, which is interesting: http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shopping-for-zero-days-an-price-list-for-hackers-secret-software-exploits/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/03/23/shoppin...
meowface 10y ago
There are many private firms in the US doing the exact same thing, and have for years, except they sell exclusively to the US government/NSA. Not sure if it's more or less profitable than being a freelance "cyber arms trafficker".
digi_owl 10y ago
I think Gibson's explanation is that the future is here, it's just not evenly distributed yet. Others like Doctorow and Stross has voiced similar views. In Stross' case, he apparently shelved the third part of a trilogy because the NSA was outpacing him.
- 13of40 10y ago
  Yep, apparently he did: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/12/psa-why-there-wont-be-a-third-.html http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/12/psa-why-...

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

RubyMyDear 10y ago

This is just speculation. They'd have no reason to "target Mansoor" even if they had the capability.