- The Dutch intelligence service warns against Russian cyberespionage
- Hackers target Signal and WhatsApp via social engineering
- The campaign has likely already provided sensitive information
The General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD), the Netherlands’ primary civilian intelligence and security agency, has warned of a major ongoing cyberespionage campaign by Russian spies.
In a security advisory, the AIVD said it had seen Russian state-sponsored hackers participating in a “large-scale global cyber campaign” targeting dignitaries, military personnel and government officials, including Dutch civil servants.
Other high-value individuals, such as journalists, could also be targeted, it said.
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Intel already taken
The strategy is social engineering and the goal is to gain access to their target’s Signal and WhatsApp accounts.
Instead of looking for software vulnerabilities, the crooks try to persuade their victims to share security credentials and PINs. The two most common approaches are either to spoof the Signal Support chatbot or to try to take advantage of the “linked devices” feature.
This feature lets multiple devices connect to the same account, allowing the spies to read the conversations without alerting the victims in any way.
The AIVD believes the campaign is already a success: “The Russian hackers probably gained access to sensitive information through this campaign,” it said, although it did not specify whether they gained access to it from Dutch targets or someone else entirely.
In the advisory, the AIVD also says that the Russians are most likely interested in Signal and WhatsApp because of their good reputations.
“Signal is known as a reliable and independent communication channel that offers end-to-end encryption. This makes it an attractive channel for use within governments that want to protect their internal communications. It also makes it the ideal place for malicious actors to attempt to capture sensitive information.”
That’s why MIVD Director Vice Admiral Peter Reesink advises against using these tools to share classified, confidential or sensitive information. We would add that it would be wise not to share access to your apps with anyone, especially if you are in a sensitive position.
Via The register
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