US company traded iPhone hacks via iMessage long before Pegasus

Just when the The Israeli spyware scandal Pegasus has drifted somewhat out of the mind of an iPhone user, Apple was forced to release an emergency iOS 14.8 update to fix a vulnerability in iMessage it was exploiting.
According to the main investigator of the scheme, Bryan Vorndran, deputy director of the Cyber Division of the FBI:
The FBI will thoroughly investigate individuals and businesses who profit from illegal cybercrime activities. This is a clear message to anyone, including former U.S. government employees, who has considered using cyberspace to mine export controlled information for the benefit of a foreign government or foreign trading company. – there is a risk, and there will be consequences.
“The app is included by default on every Apple device. It accepts incoming messages from anyone who knows your number. There is no way to uninstall it, no way to inspect it, nothing a user can do to defend against this kind of threat beyond downloading every Apple security update ASAP.“Cybersecurity analysts say. Disappointed.