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Dutch intelligence agencies have raised alarm over a large-scale global hacking campaign carried out by Russian state-linked actors targeting users of encrypted messaging platforms Signal and WhatsApp.
In a report released on Monday, the Defense Intelligence and Security Agency (MIVD) and the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Agency (AIVD) said the campaign was primarily aimed at government officials, military personnel, journalists and other high-value targets around the world.
According to the agency, the hackers did not rely on advanced malware but used phishing and social engineering techniques to gain control of victims’ accounts.
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The report details how attackers exploited Signal users by pretending to be members of the app’s support team. Targets receive warning messages about issues such as suspicious activity in their account, possible data leaks, or attempts to access personal information.
“Because Signal stores chat history locally on the phone, victims can regain access to that history after re-registering. As a result, victims may assume that nothing is wrong. The Dutch service would like to emphasize that this assumption could be wrong,” the report said.
Victims are then urged to verify their identity by providing a verification code sent via SMS, which the attacker himself requested from Signal. In some cases, victims are also asked for their Signal PIN code.
