Russian Hackers Spotted Trying to Hijack WhatsApp, Signal Accounts | PCMag

Russian state-sponsored hackers have allegedly been trying to hijack WhatsApp and Signal accounts on a global scale by tricking users into handing over their login authentication codes.  The warning comes from the Netherlands’ General Intelligence and Security Service, also known as AIVD, which issued an advisory about the “large-scale global cyber campaign” on Monday.  The intelligence agency says Russians hackers are targeting accounts “belonging to dignitaries, military personnel and civil servants”; victims include Dutch government employees.  WhatsApp and Signal are best known for using end-to-end encryption, which can prevent even the messaging services themselves from decrypting user chats. However, both apps are still susceptible to account takeovers, which can allow someone to access an account on a second phone, paving the way for a hacker to steal access and spy on messages. “An interesting aspect of this Russian campaign is that it does not exploit any technical vulnerabilities of the messaging services,” AIVD notes. “The attackers instead make malicious use of legitimate security features of the apps.” This includes tricking users into handing over a one-time authentication code. The AIVD warned that “the most frequently observed method used by the Russian hackers is to masquerade as a Signal Support chatbot in order
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