Russia suspected of sweeping Signal hack attack on German officials

Russia allegedly launched a wide-scale phishing attack through the Signal app targeting Germany’s high-profile politicians, diplomats and military officers.

While the exact number of victims is unclear, German media estimates that at least 300 accounts belonging to political figures were targeted, with even several cabinet members affected, according to the German Press Agency, dpa.

“The number of unreported cases will continue to rise in the coming days,” said Konstantin von Notz, an MP who serves as deputy chief of the intelligence oversight committee, to AFP.


German Chancellor Friedrich Merz addresses delegates in the Bundestag.
High-ranking Germany politicians were among those targeted in a phishing attack allegedly orchestrated by Russia. AFP via Getty Images

“At present, no one can say with any certainty whether the integrity of MPs’ communications is still guaranteed,” he ssaid.

Germany believes that the cyberattack, which also targeted Berlin’s high-profile journalists, was orchestrated by Russia, government sources told Reuters.

Berlin has served as one of Ukraine’s biggest providers of military aid, with Germany frequently targeted by suspected Russian espionage and sabotage plots.

The hackers allegedly sent messages to the targets posing as “Signal Support,” where they would ask the officials to enter their PIN, click on a link or scan a specific QR code.

Once the targets complied, the hackers gained access to the victim’s chats and address books, dpa reported.


The Signal encrypted messaging application icon on an iPhone home screen.
The phishing scheme was launched through the Signal messaging app, with the breach giving the hackers access to chats and address books. NurPhoto via Getty Images

German federal ‌prosecutors ⁠said they have been investigating the phishing attack since mid-April, while declining to provide further details.

Germany’s domestic ⁠intelligence service BfV and ​its cybersecurity office BSI had warned earlier this year that state-sponsored actors could launch attacks on messaging apps such as Signal in the near future.

Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of spying and sabotage in other countries.

With Post wires

Source link

Visited 1 times, 1 visit(s) today

Related Article

The ceasefire would reportedly be extended for a longer period as part of the new deal, or Tehran and Washington will agree to permanently cease hostilities. (File Image)

Iran has offered new deal to US, says report. It has 3 key focus points

Iran has reportedly offered the United States a new proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but delay the negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme for a later stage. The ceasefire would reportedly be extended for a longer period as part of the new deal, or Tehran and Washington will agree to

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

North Korea’s Kim to Continue Support for Russia, State Media Says

SEOUL, April 27 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said ⁠his ⁠country would continue to support Russia’s policies and ⁠discussed bolstering military ties with Moscow, state media KCNA reported, as analysts said such cooperation looked ​set to endure beyond the war in Ukraine. A Russian delegation including Defence Minister Andrei Belousov attended a

Earthquake

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake shakes part of northern Japan | World News

The quake struck 18 kilometres west of the small town of Sarabetsu on Japan’s northernmost. (Representational/File Photo) A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook part of northern Japan early Monday, but no damage or casualties have been reported. No tsunami advisory was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake struck 18 kilometres west of the small

Caught between wars, US Afghan allies trapped in Qatar without safe exit

Caught between wars, US Afghan allies trapped in Qatar without safe exit

Stuck for over a year behind a perimeter fence on a defunct American base on Doha’s edge, 1,100 former Afghan allies of US forces and their families have escaped Afghanistan with their lives only to find themselves trapped in uncertainty. Caught between wars, US Afghan allies trapped in Qatar without safe exit “We are all

Smoke rises from targeted areas in the town of Arnoun, in Lebanon Nabatieh province following an airstrike, on April 26, 2026. (AFP)

US-Iran peace hopes fade as war nears 2-month mark amid stalemate over talks

Hopes of reviving peace efforts in the US-Israeli war with Iran faltered on Sunday with President Donald Trump, who called off a planned diplomatic mission on Saturday, said Washington was open to talks only by phone, even as Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi continued shuttle diplomacy across the region. Track updates on Iran US war

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace Says King Charles’ Trip to the US to Go Ahead

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) – ⁠Buckingham ⁠Palace said ⁠on Sunday that the ​four-day trip to the ‌United States by ‌King Charles ⁠and ⁠Queen Camilla would go ahead as planned ​following a shooting at a dinner attended ​by President Donald Trump. “Following discussions ⁠on both ⁠sides of ⁠the ​Atlantic through the day, and acting ​on ⁠advice

Latest and Breaking News on NDTV

Trump Event Shooter Mocked Hotel Security In Manifesto, Said ‘Won’t Use Slugs’

Cole Tomas Allen, the suspect who fired a gunshot at a security officer at White House Correspondents’ Dinner, mocked the security arrangements at the Washington Hilton hotel in a manifesto he had sent to his family minutes before the incident. He described himself as the “Friendly Federal Assassin” in the letter, and said he wanted

ET logo

Trump says Iran can call if it wants to talk, as Iranian envoy returns to Pakistan

President Donald Trump said on Sunday ​that Iran could call if it wanted to negotiate an end to the war launched by the U.S. and Israel, as Iran’s foreign minister returned to Pakistan for talks despite the absence of U.S. counterparts. Hopes of reviving peace efforts had earlier receded after Trump scrapped a visit to

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump Tells Fox News Iran Can Call US if It Wants to Negotiate

(Fixes typos in ⁠paragraphs ⁠1-2) WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – ⁠President Donald Trump said ​on Sunday that Iran can ‌reach out to the ‌United States if ⁠it ⁠wants to negotiate an end to the ​war between the two countries. “If they want to talk, they ​can come to us, or they ⁠can ⁠call us. You

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Trump Says He Speaks With Putin and Zelenskiy -Fox News

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) – U.S. ⁠President ⁠Donald Trump said ⁠on Sunday he has “good conversations” ​with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President ‌Volodymyr Zelenskiy as he ‌aims to settle the Ukraine ⁠war. “We’re ⁠working on the Russia situation, Russia and Ukraine, ​and hopefully we’re going to get it,” Trump said in an interview

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Pope Leo Says Those Who Wage War Are Thieves Stealing Away Our Peaceful Future

ROME, April 26 (Reuters) – Pope Leo on ⁠Sunday ⁠described those who wage ⁠wars and appropriate the earth’s resources as ​thieves who rob the world of a peaceful future, issuing a warning ‌about the use of ‌nuclear power on the anniversary of the Chornobyl reactor ⁠accident. Ukraine is ⁠commemorating the 40th anniversary of the world’s

Araghchi is likely to meet Pakistani officials again. (AFP)

Iran FM set to return to Pak amid US cancellation, to share terms to end war

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to return to Islamabad again on Sunday, even as international mediators join Pakistan in the renewed push for peace talks. Araghchi is likely to meet Pakistani officials again. (AFP) This comes even as US President Donald Trump cancelled the US envoys’ trip to Pakistan. Araghchi had met Pakistani

Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer and Labour know they are beaten | UK | News

Dead man walking: The PM is toast after a string of controversies and failures (Image: Getty) The local elections – now less than a fortnight away – are shaping up to be the most vitriolic in decades. Labour is on the ropes after leading Britain to economic calamity in less than two years: inflation now

US Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. (AP)

Top US official says dinner shooting suspect ‘likely’ targeted Donald Trump

The US acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, on Sunday said that the gunman who tried to breach the ballroom at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, including President Donald Trump himself. US Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Buckingham Palace Says Discussing King Charles’ Visit With US After Washington Shooting

By Michael Holden and Sam Tabahriti LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) – ⁠Buckingham ⁠Palace said discussions would take ⁠place with U.S. authorities on Sunday to determine whether a ​shooting at a dinner attended by President Donald Trump would affect planning for King Charles’ state ‌visit to the U.S. this ‌week. Trump was rushed out of the

ChronicleLive is hosting a hustings ahead of the upcoming Newcastle City Council elections

Send us your questions for Newcastle City Council local election candidates

ChronicleLive is hosting an election hustings ahead of the May 7 poll that could radically reshape the balance of power on Newcastle City Council ChronicleLive is hosting a hustings ahead of the upcoming Newcastle City Council elections Voters in Newcastle will go to the polls in May for a set of local elections that could

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA - APRIL 20: Children huddle to pray during a memorial gathering on April 20, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours of April 19th, according to local authorities. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Gunfire Persists in Mali Town as UN Urges International Response After Attacks

BAMAKO, April 26 (Reuters) – Sustained gunfire rang out in a garrison town ⁠near ⁠Mali’s capital on Sunday, a Reuters ⁠witness said, a day after an al Qaeda affiliate and Tuareg rebels carried out one ​of the largest coordinated attacks in the country in recent years. The gunfire in the town of Kati suggested that

Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face, surrounded by Secret Service agents, as he is taken off the stage at a campaign event at Butler Farm Show Inc. in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024. (AFP File)

Assassination attempts on Donald Trump in focus amid shooting at dinner

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents Association dinner in the Washington Hilton hotel on Saturday (local time) after a man opened fire on security personnel nearby. Donald Trump is seen with blood on his face, surrounded by Secret Service agents, as he is taken

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x