Messaging App Used by Mike Waltz, Trump Deportation Airline GlobalX Both Hacked in Separate Breaches (www.slashdot.org)
from ByteOnBikes@slrpnk.net to technology@lemmy.world on 06 May 06:36
https://slrpnk.net/post/21770218

TeleMessage, a communications app used by former Trump national security adviser Mike Waltz, has suspended services after a reported hack exposed some user messages. The breach follows controversy over Waltz’s use of the app to coordinate military updates, including accidentally adding a journalist to a sensitive Signal group chat. From the repor In an email, Portland, Oregon-based Smarsh, which runs the TeleMessage app, said it was “investigating a potential security incident” and was suspending all its services “out of an abundance of caution.” A Reuters photograph showed Waltz using TeleMessage, an unofficial version of the popular encrypted messaging app Signal, on his phone during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

A separate report from 404 Media says hackers have also targeted GlobalX Air – one of the main airlines the Trump administration is using as part of its deportation efforts – and claim to have stolen flight records and passenger manifests for all its flights, including those for deportation. From the report: The data, which the hackers contacted 404 Media and other journalists about unprompted, could provide granular insight into who exactly has been deported on GlobalX flights, when, and to where, with GlobalX being the charter company that facilitated the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador.

“Anonymous has decided to enforce the Judge’s order since you and your sycophant staff ignore lawful orders that go against your fascist plans,” a defacement message posted to GlobalX’s website reads. Anonymous, well-known for its use of the Guy Fawkes mask, is an umbrella some hackers operate under when performing what they see as hacktivism.

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Armand1@lemmy.world on 06 May 07:24 next collapse

Isn’t the whole point of Signal that it’s end-to-end encrypted?

How can it (or rather it’s fork) getting hacked result in messages being exposed?

nao@sh.itjust.works on 06 May 07:42 next collapse

Apparently the purpose of the fork was to send copies of the messages somewhere else for archiving.

TransplantedSconie@lemm.ee on 06 May 09:17 collapse

The somewhere else being the Israeli government.

LesserAbe@lemmy.world on 06 May 12:03 collapse

I’ve seen more informative reporting from 404 media and others, Signal had more or less said they can’t guarantee security for third party apps. Which makes sense, I can’t guarantee a house I didn’t build is safe. The OP link also talks about how the hacked company is Oregon based, which is technically true that they’re registered there. But the reporting I had read indicated the company was founded and is run by a former Israeli security officer, and has offices in Israel.

Mrkawfee@lemmy.world on 06 May 11:16 collapse

It’s not treason when you’re spying for israel, apparently.