Meta uncovers hack attempts on US officials’ WhatsApp accounts

Meta recently announced that it had detected attempts to hack WhatsApp accounts belonging to US officials from both the Biden and Trump administrations. The company linked these efforts to an Iranian hacker group, APT42, which has previously been connected to breaches in the Trump campaign. Meta described the attempts as a small-scale operation using social engineering tactics, where hackers posed as technical support from major companies like AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.

After users flagged these suspicious activities, Meta blocked the accounts and confirmed that none of the targeted WhatsApp accounts had been compromised. The company explained that APT42 is known for deploying surveillance software on victims’ mobile devices, enabling them to access calls and text messages and even activate cameras and microphones without detection.

These hacking attempts are reportedly part of a broader campaign targeting US presidential campaigns earlier this month, just ahead of the upcoming presidential election. While Meta did not disclose the identities of those targeted, it indicated that the hackers focused on political and diplomatic figures, as well as business leaders from several countries, including the US, UK, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Iran.

Meta’s findings underscore the ongoing risks of cyber-attacks targeting political figures and highlight the need for increased vigilance as the US heads into a critical election period.