New security patch for iPhone in iOS 14.8: how to look for Pegasus spyware on your phone

With iOS 14.8, Apple has released a critical update for your iPhone which seems to correct a defect that the Pegasus spyware has been exploited.

Spyware can be installed remotely on a recipient’s iPhone or iPad, giving the person or organization that installed it full access to the device and all the data it contains, without the owner take no action. This includes texting, emails and even recording calls. Pegasus was originally designed and is marketed by its creator the NSO group, to monitor criminals and terrorists.

While there is probably little chance of a government entity installing Pegasus on your iPhone to monitor your activities, if you’re curious, there’s a free tool that lets you check your iPhone or iPad with a few clicks. To be clear, the chances of your iPhone or iPad being infected with Pegasus Spyware are low. That said, if you want peace of mind (just in case), here’s what you need to do, along with installing the iOS update.

Download and install the iMazing app on your Mac or PC

iMazing recently updated its desktop app to include Amnesty International’s Mobile Verification Toolkit, created to detect Pegasus signs on a device and that doesn’t charge users access to the feature.

Download iMazing for your computer from the company website. Don’t worry about buying the app – you can do the full spyware test only with the free trial.

Install iMazing and open it. When prompted, select the free trial.

How to run Pegasus Spyware scan on your iPhone or iPad

With iMazing installed and running, connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer. You may need to enter the lock screen code on your device to approve the connection before continuing (something to keep in mind if your iPhone or iPad doesn’t appear in iMazing).

Then scroll down through the action options on the right side of iMinging until you locate Detects spyware; click on it.

A new window will open guiding you through the process. The tool works by creating a local backup of your device (so you’ll need to make sure you have enough storage space for the backup) and analyzing the backup. This is an automated task, so you don’t have to stay in control to control it once you click Start.

iMazing suggests leaving all the default settings in place as you click on each screen. There are configuration options built into the tool for advanced users, but for most of us (myself included), the default configuration settings will do the job.

After going through the basic settings, you will need to accept a license for the tool, and then click Start the analysis button.

Once the process begins, be sure to keep your iPhone or iPad connected until it’s done. I tested it on my iPhone 12 Pro and it took me about 30 minutes to create the backup and another five minutes to analyze it. After creating the backup, I had to enter my account password to allow iMazing to start parsing the file. Therefore, I recommend starting the tool and checking it after a while.

Once iMazing starts analyzing the backup of your device, it will show you its progress by showing each individual application you are checking, starting with iMessage. The application uses a database of known email addresses, links, process names, and malicious file names.

When you finish iMazing, you will see an alert with the results. In my case, my iPhone 12 Pro showed no signs of infection and had 0 warnings.

The alert also includes two buttons to open or reveal the report. I looked at my report and it contained a lot of random links that meant nothing to me.

What to do if the iMazing application indicates that the device has signs of infection

First of all, don’t be scared. It could be a false positive. If this happens, iMazing asks you to submit the report (click Reveal report go directly to the file) to your customer service team for further analysis. However, the company suggests that if a family member or you are active in a “politically sensitive context” and have a positive report to immediately remove the SIM card and turn off your iPhone or iPad.

If your phone is not infected, you still want it install the latest update on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, which addresses the vulnerability.

For more safety tips, check this setting. For more privacy, follow these steps.