Russian hackers have targeted US officials and other high-value individuals through the encrypted messaging app Signal, with thousands of accounts already compromised, FBI Director Kash Patel warned on Friday. In a post on X, Patel said the FBI had identified cyber actors linked to Russian intelligence services carrying out a widespread campaign against users of commercial messaging platforms, including Signal. “The campaign targets individuals of high intelligence value, including current and former US government officials, military personnel, political figures, and journalists,” the FBI director explained.
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“Globally, this effort has resulted in unauthorized access to thousands of individual accounts.”Patel warned that after gaining access, the Russian actors were able to view messages and contact lists, send messages as the victim and conduct phishing attacks from the victim’s account.A public service announcement detailing the threat noted that “actors specifically target Signal accounts but can apply similar methods against other” commercial messaging apps, New York Post reported. The Russian hackers infiltrated people’s accounts by sending messages “masquerading as automated [commercial messaging app] support accounts” that “deceive targets into taking an action, such as clicking a link or providing verification codes or account PINs.”A “full account takeover” was possible if users performed the requested actions, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned in the PSA.The National Security Agency (NSA) previously warned the Department of War about the risks of using Signal, specifically citing the threat of Russian hacking groups that actively attacked the app, CBS reported last year.Several top Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance and War Secretary Pete Hegseth, used the app to discuss military strikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen last year in a group chat that was accidentally shared with a journalist.
