Ahmed Mansoor / Trident (2016)
Human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor received suspicious SMS links; Citizen Lab and Lookout identified the Trident exploit chain targeting his iPhone, the landmark 2016 public Pegasus discovery.
- 01Evidence status: FORENSICALLY CONFIRMED
- 02Attack vector: SMS one-click (Trident)
- 03Spyware: Pegasus
- 04Subject: Ahmed Mansoor
- 05Researcher: Citizen Lab / Lookout
What Happened
Human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor received suspicious SMS links; Citizen Lab and Lookout identified the Trident exploit chain targeting his iPhone, the landmark 2016 public Pegasus discovery.
Evidence
Evidence status: FORENSICALLY CONFIRMED
Attack vector: SMS one-click (Trident)
“Ahmed Mansoor / Trident (2016) involved Pegasus.”
Researcher: Citizen Lab / Lookout. Primary source: CL-2016-08-24/25.
Attribution
Linked to NSO Group Pegasus by researchers.
What NSO Group Says
NSO Group has stated its technology is licensed to vetted governmental agencies for legitimate law-enforcement and national-security purposes. NSO has not typically commented on individual cases or operators.
Legal Status
Investigative; foundational public Pegasus disclosure.
