**Zero-click malware** is a type of malicious software that can infect a device **without the user doing anything**—no clicking links, downloading files, or opening attachments. It usually targets vulnerabilities in apps or operating systems and exploits them silently, often through things like: - Receiving a text or image - A missed call - A message in a chat app (like WhatsApp, iMessage, etc.) These attacks are stealthy and often leave little to no trace, making them hard to detect or defend against. They’re often used in **targeted attacks**, especially in surveillance or cyber-espionage, but the underlying flaws could potentially affect anyone. --- ### 🔥 Notable Examples of Zero-Click Malware: #### 1. **NSO Group’s Pegasus Spyware** - Probably the most infamous example. - It could infect iPhones through a **zero-click iMessage exploit**—you didn’t even have to read the message. - Once installed, it had full access to messages, calls, camera, mic, etc. - Used against journalists, activists, and political figures. #### 2. **FORCEDENTRY (2021)** - An exploit used by Pegasus, discovered by Citizen Lab and analyzed by Google’s Project Zero. - It exploited a flaw in Apple's CoreGraphics via malicious PDF files sent via iMessage. - Fully remote and zero-click. #### 3. **WhatsApp Exploit (2019)** - Attackers used a vulnerability in WhatsApp’s voice call feature. - Just receiving a call (you didn’t have to answer) could trigger the malware payload. - Also linked to Pegasus. #### 4. **Apple’s BlastDoor (2021–)** - Not malware, but a security mechanism introduced to mitigate zero-click attacks via iMessage. - Shows how serious the problem became, forcing Apple to sandbox message processing. --- ### ⚠️ Why Zero-Click is So Scary: - No user interaction means you can’t "just be careful" to avoid it. - Often used by well-funded groups (nation-states, spyware firms). - They exploit previously unknown vulnerabilities (zero-days), making traditional antivirus nearly useless. --- If you're just trying to stay safe as a regular user, zero-click threats are pretty rare unless you're a high-value target. But keeping devices updated is **super important**, because companies patch these kinds of exploits as soon as they discover them. Want to dig into the tech behind how they work? Or are you more curious about how to protect against them?