Hack Brief: Hackers Breach the Ultra-Secure Messaging App Telegram in Iran
https://www.wired.com/2016/08/hack-brief-hackers-breach-ultra-secure-messaging-app-telegram-iran/ Amnesty International technologist and researcher Claudio Guarnieri and independent security researcher Collin Anderson traced recent Telegram account breaches in Iran to the SMS messages Telegram sends to people when they activate a new device. The texts contain a verification code that Telegram asks people to enter to complete a new device setup. A hacker with access to someone's text messages can obtain these codes and enter them to add their own devices to the person's account, thus gaining access to their data including chat histories. The researchers think the Iranian hacking group Rocket Kitten is behind the Telegram breaches, based on similarities to the infrastructure of past phishing attacks attributed to the group. There is widespread speculation that Rocket Kitten has ties to the Iranian government. - - - Yet more examples of SMS text messaging vulnerabilities. --Lauren-- Lauren Weinstein ([email protected]): https://www.vortex.com/lauren Founder: - Network Neutrality Squad: https://www.nnsquad.org - PRIVACY Forum: https://www.vortex.com/privacy-info Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: https://www.pfir.org/pfir-info Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy Lauren's Blog: https://lauren.vortex.com Google+: https://google.com/+LaurenWeinstein Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com I have consulted to Google, but I am not currently doing so -- my opinions expressed here are mine alone. _______________________________________________ pfir mailing list https://lists.pfir.org/mailman/listinfo/pfir
