Serbian police are using mobile hacking tools to hack into the phones of activists and journalists and then install Android spyware to monitor them, Amnesty International warns in a report. The organization says the state is using tools developed by the Israeli company Cellebrite, which are designed to help law enforcement agencies unlock devices for forensic examination.
Amnesty International calls on the Serbian government to put an end to this surveillance practice:
Serbian authorities must stop using highly invasive spyware, provide effective remedies to victims of unlawful targeted surveillance, and bring those responsible for these violations to justice. Cellebrite and other digital forensics companies should also conduct due diligence to ensure that their products are not used in ways that contribute to human rights abuses.
Amnesty International gathered various accounts of how Serbian authorities processed the phones of civil society members detained in different facilities through additional procedures (such as drug testing and psychological evaluation), which increased the length of detention and therefore the overall time that authorities had access to their phones. During this time, the police installed Novispy, a spyware program that was likely developed by the state, on their phones. Some devices were hacked using a Qualcomm vulnerability (which was later patched), Amnesty International explains in the document.
In one case reported by 404 Media, Slavisa Milanov, deputy editor of the Serbian publication FAR, and the editor-in-chief were traveling together in a car when they were stopped by Serbian authorities, detained and confiscated their phones. When they got their phones back, they noticed changes: data and Wi-Fi were turned off, and apps were using a lot of power.
Milanov says that his Android device, a Xiaomi Redmi Note 10S, had additional software installed when it was returned to him, and that police extracted 1.6 GB of data, although he did not give his password.
Cellebrite senior director Victor Cooper responded to Amnesty International’s questions by stating that the company’s products are “licensed exclusively for lawful uses” that require a warrant or legally authorized investigation in accordance with an agreement with the end user. Cooper also told 404 Media that Cellebrite is investigating the “alleged misuse” of their technology and is “prepared to pursue appropriate sanctions” with any relevant authorities.
