Trident
Three iOS vulnerabilities used together to compromise the device of human rights defender Ahmed Mansoor via a malicious SMS link. Historically critical to Pegasus, but it required the target to click a link and was not the later zero-click model.
- 01Year: 2016 · Platform: iOS · Vector: SMS link (one-click)
- 02Interaction: one-click
- 03CVEs: CVE-2016-4657, CVE-2016-4655, CVE-2016-4656
- 04Discovered by: Citizen Lab / Lookout
- 05Patched: Apple iOS 9.3.5
Technical Description
A memory corruption chain: a kernel vulnerability combined with code execution in the Safari WebKit sandbox, allowing privileged access after the user tapped a malicious link.
Zero-Click Relevance
Trident was a one-click exploit chain. It is the landmark 2016 public Pegasus discovery but is distinct from later zero-click vectors.
Vulnerabilities
| CVE | Status |
|---|---|
| CVE-2016-4657 | Patched |
| CVE-2016-4655 | Patched |
| CVE-2016-4656 | Patched |
Attribution
Linked to NSO Group Pegasus by Citizen Lab and Lookout research.
“Trident is a Pegasus exploit.”
Linked to NSO Group Pegasus by Citizen Lab and Lookout research.
What NSO Group Says
NSO Group has stated its technology is licensed to vetted government agencies for law-enforcement and national-security purposes.
