Niš student says spyware attack exposed her private life and contacts

A student from Niš says a spyware attack opened a window onto her entire private life, not just her work in Serbia's student movement.

Milica said she received a phone alert in mid-August. At first, she thought it was a generic notification or an advertisement. A closer look showed that her phone had allegedly been targeted in a spyware attack, so she sent the alert to a colleague in Niš who works in information technology. She then contacted colleagues in Belgrade and learned that she was not the only person to receive such a warning.

The full details of what happened to Milica's phone have not yet been established, and the process is continuing. After taking the phone to Belgrade for examination, she said she understood the possible reach of the attack.

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Only when I came to Belgrade to have my phone examined did it become serious to me. I realized that through this attack they had access to my whole life, not only student meetings, but also private conversations. They could access the microphone and camera. They could have turned on the camera while we were showering or talking about private matters. What is happening is not normal.

“Only when I came to Belgrade to have my phone examined did it become serious to me. I realized that through this attack they had access to my whole life, not only student meetings, but also private conversations. They could access the microphone and camera. They could have turned on the camera while we were showering or talking about private matters. What is happening is not normal,” she said.

Milica also said the attackers may have reached the data of people who support the students and are involved in their struggle. “This is not an attack only on students, but on all the contacts I have in my phone,” she said.

Ela Zeković, a student at the Faculty of Political Sciences, said 14 students who belonged to the movement's operational teams had been spied on with advanced spyware. She said the episode began after Apple notified users that they had allegedly been targeted. The Šer Foundation said the spyware targeting coincided with the campaign period for local elections.

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This is not an attack only on students, but on all the contacts I have in my phone.