Microsoft accuse Israeli group of selling tools that hack into Windows

Microsoft has accused an Israeli group of hackers of creating and selling tools that can hack into Microsoft Windows.

According to Microsoft and technology human rights group Citizen Lab, the hacking group named Candiru has created software that is able to hack into Microsoft Windows to exploit it. Citizen Lab's security researchers showed how the tool has spread around the globe and how it was used to "target various civil society organizations, including a Saudi dissident group and a left-leaning Indonesian news outlet", per Reuters.

Microsoft has already fixed the flaws that Candiru was exploiting. However, Microsoft didn't give Candiru the credit of naming the group directly. Instead, Microsoft said it was an "Israel-based private sector offensive actor" that has been codenamed Sourgum. Microsoft wrote in a blog post, "Sourgum generally sells cyberweapons that enable its customers, often government agencies around the world, to hack into their targets' computers, phones, network infrastructure, and internet-connected devices."

Microsoft also said, "These agencies then choose who to target and run the actual operations themselves."