According to a report by Haaretz on Thursday, the Israeli company Cellebrite has purportedly sold its cell phone hacking system to Pakistan on multiple occasions.
Cellebrite’s system, known as the Universal Forensics Extraction Device (UFED), empowers law enforcement to access data from password-protected smartphones, drones, SIM cards, SD cards, GPS devices, and other sources, as stated on the company’s website.
However, Cellebrite’s own Terms and Conditions explicitly forbid the “direct or indirect” usage or resale of their systems in certain sanctioned countries, Pakistan being among them. Nevertheless, Haaretz claims that international shipment records indicate that, at least until 2019, Cellebrite Asia-Pacific Pte (a subsidiary of Cellebrite in Singapore) directly sold their products to companies in Pakistan, including the country’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
In response to the Haaretz article, Cellebrite stated, “The company does not engage in direct or indirect sales to Pakistan.” However, the company refrained from providing a clarification regarding the documents disclosed in the report.
Several Israeli hacking systems have found their way into nations that face sanctions or condemnation for human rights violations.
Earlier this year, Haaretz reported that several Israeli spyware and surveillance tools, including Cellebrite systems, had been sold to Bangladesh.
