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Date (GMT) |
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Description |
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2025-02-19 14:00:00 |
Signals of Trouble: Multiple Russia-Aligned Threat Actors Actively Targeting Signal Messenger (lien direct) |
Written by: Dan Black
Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has observed increasing efforts from several Russia state-aligned threat actors to compromise Signal Messenger accounts used by individuals of interest to Russia\'s intelligence services. While this emerging operational interest has likely been sparked by wartime demands to gain access to sensitive government and military communications in the context of Russia\'s re-invasion of Ukraine, we anticipate the tactics and methods used to target Signal will grow in prevalence in the near-term and proliferate to additional threat actors and regions outside the Ukrainian theater of war.
Signal\'s popularity among common targets of surveillance and espionage activity-such as military personnel, politicians, journalists, activists, and other at-risk communities-has positioned the secure messaging application as a high-value target for adversaries seeking to intercept sensitive information that could fulfil a range of different intelligence requirements. More broadly, this threat also extends to other popular messaging applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram, which are also being actively targeted by Russian-aligned threat groups using similar techniques. In anticipation of a wider adoption of similar tradecraft by other threat actors, we are issuing a public warning regarding the tactics and methods used to date to help build public awareness and help communities better safeguard themselves from similar threats.
We are grateful to the team at Signal for their close partnership in investigating this activity. The latest Signal releases on Android and iOS contain hardened features designed to help protect against similar phishing campaigns in the future. Update to the latest version to enable these features.
Phishing Campaigns Abusing Signal\'s "Linked Devices" Feature
The most novel and widely used technique underpinning Russian-aligned attempts to compromise Signal accounts is the abuse of the app\'s legitimate "linked devices" feature that enables Signal to be used on multiple devices concurrently. Because linking an additional device typically requires scanning a quick-response (QR) code, threat actors have resorted to crafting malicious QR codes that, when scanned, will link a victim\'s account to an actor-controlled Signal instance. If successful, future messages will be delivered synchronously to both the victim and the threat actor in real-time, providing a persistent means to eavesdrop on the victim\'s secure conversations without the need for full-device compromise.
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Malware
Threat
Mobile
Cloud
Commercial
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APT 44
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★★
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2025-01-29 14:00:00 |
Adversarial Misuse of Generative AI (lien direct) |
Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are unlocking new possibilities for the way we work and accelerating innovation in science, technology, and beyond. In cybersecurity, AI is poised to transform digital defense, empowering defenders and enhancing our collective security. Large language models (LLMs) open new possibilities for defenders, from sifting through complex telemetry to secure coding, vulnerability discovery, and streamlining operations. However, some of these same AI capabilities are also available to attackers, leading to understandable anxieties about the potential for AI to be misused for malicious purposes.
Much of the current discourse around cyber threat actors\' misuse of AI is confined to theoretical research. While these studies demonstrate the potential for malicious exploitation of AI, they don\'t necessarily reflect the reality of how AI is currently being used by threat actors in the wild. To bridge this gap, we are sharing a comprehensive analysis of how threat actors interacted with Google\'s AI-powered assistant, Gemini. Our analysis was grounded by the expertise of Google\'s Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG), which combines decades of experience tracking threat actors on the front lines and protecting Google, our users, and our customers from government-backed attackers, targeted 0-day exploits, coordinated information operations (IO), and serious cyber crime networks.
We believe the private sector, governments, educational institutions, and other stakeholders must work together to maximize AI\'s benefits while also reducing the risks of abuse. At Google, we are committed to developing responsible AI guided by our principles, and we share |
Ransomware
Malware
Tool
Vulnerability
Threat
Studies
Legislation
Mobile
Industrial
Cloud
Technical
Commercial
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APT 41
APT 43
APT 42
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★★★
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