Informed sources said that a second Israeli company exploited a loophole in Apple's software at the same time that the Israeli electronic intelligence group NSO was able to hack iPhones in 2021, according to a Reuters report.
The sources said Qua dream, a smaller and less well-known company than NSO, is developing smart phone hacking tools for government clients.
The two rival companies gained fame in the past year for their ability to hack iPhones remotely, according to the sources, which means that the two companies can put Apple's phones at risk without their owners opening malicious links.
An expert said that the two companies' use of one advanced method known as "Zero-click" proves that phones are more vulnerable to effective digital spying tools.
"People want to think they're safe, and phone companies want you to think they're safe, and what we've realized is that it's not," said Dave Itel, a partner at Cordispaces Systems, a cybersecurity firm.
Experts who have been analyzing the breaches of the "NSO Group" and "Qua Dream" company since last year believe that the two companies used very similar software methods known as "Forced Entry" to hack iPhone phones.
The report stated that analysts believed that the two companies' methods of penetration were similar because they exploited one vulnerability in Apple's instant messaging platform, and used a similar method to implant malicious software in the targeted devices.
A spokeswoman for "NSO" said that the company "did not cooperate" with "Qua Dream" (communication sites)
According to the report, repeated attempts to reach Qua Dream for comment on the information were unsuccessful, and Reuters sent letters to its executives and business partners.
And last week, a Reuters reporter visited the company's office in the Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Gan, and no one answered the doorbell, and the company's lawyer did not respond to messages addressed to him, and an Apple spokesman declined to comment on "Qua Dream" or say whether the company intend to take any steps in relation to this company.
Two sources familiar with the matter said that the similarities between the two companies' hacking methods were so strong that their spyware became useless when Apple fixed the vulnerabilities in September 2021.
A spokeswoman for NSO said the company "has not cooperated" with Koa Dream, but that "the cyber-intelligence industry continues to grow rapidly globally."
Apple filed a lawsuit against the "NSO" group last November, accusing it of violating the terms of use and services agreement with regard to its phones, and the case is still in its early stages.
Spyware companies say they sell high-potential technology to help governments thwart threats to national security.
However, human rights organizations and journalists have repeatedly proven that this software is used to attack civil society, undermine political opposition and interfere in elections.