How a Zero-Day Attack Targeted an Activist

How a Zero-Day Attack Targeted an Activist

From The #TBOT Show with Hakeem Anwar by The most important weekly tech news + solutions.

April 20, 2026 · 4 min

About this episode

The episode discusses a zero-day attack targeting an activist in the UAE and the implications of such exploits.

This story of an activist in the UAE shows the sophistication of zero-day exploits. After jail time and surveillance, he received a Pegasus link disguised as info on detainees. Instead of clicking, he sent it to Citizen Lab. They revealed Pegasus could access cameras, calls, and location. These zero-days are rare and costly, reserved for high-value targets. Stay vigilant—awareness matters! 🪧 Watch the full webinar Above Share is included in Above Suite. Purchase Above Suite with any new Above Phone or Above Book or purchase it and start using our tools on your current devices! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tbot.substack.com/subscribe

People in this episode

Host: Hakeem Anwar

Topics covered

  • zero-day attack
  • activism
  • cybersecurity
  • surveillance
  • Pegasus
  • technology

Keywords

  • zero-day
  • attack
  • activist
  • Pegasus
  • surveillance
  • Citizen Lab
  • UAE

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Citizen Lab, Above Suite, Above Phone, Above Book

Products: Pegasus

Places: UAE

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