The Million Dollar Dissident: NSO Group’s iPhone Zero-Days used against a UAE Human Rights Defender

Citizen Lab and Lookout investigate a targeted cyber-espionage campaign against UAE dissident Ahmed Mansoor, revealing a sophisticated chain of iPhone zero-day exploits (Trident) that infected his device and installed NSO Group's Pegasus spyware, enabling remote monitoring and data exfiltration; the report links the operation to NSO Group's Pegasus ecosystem, documents associated infrastructure and prior UAE attacks, and discusses responsible disclosure and broader implications for surveillance technology and export controls.