The messaging app used by some members of the Trump administration and the US government has been hacked, according to a new report.
404 Media reports that a hacker stole customer data from TeleMessage, an Israeli software company that provides modified versions of messaging apps like Signal.
-->The US government reportedly uses modified apps to archive messages.
A Reuters photo last week revealed that Michael Waltz, the recently ousted national security adviser, was using TeleMessage to communicate with colleagues during a Trump administration cabinet meeting.
Trump said last week on Truth Social that he plans to nominate Waltz to serve as the US ambassador to the United Nations. The former national security adviser fell into hot water earlier this year for accidentally adding a journalist to a sensitive Signal chat about war plans between top Trump administration figures.
The identity of the hacker remains unknown, but 404 Media viewed the hacked material that was anonymously provided. The hacker also anonymously noted that the hack took 15-20 minutes and “wasn’t much effort at all.”
The hacker didn’t access Waltz’s messages specifically, but the thief did access data related to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the crypto exchange Coinbase, as well as other financial institutions. A screenshot shows that the hacker was able to access a TeleMessage panel that lists the names, phone numbers and email addresses of CPB employees.
The screenshot also shows an option to select 747 entries, suggesting that the attacker has access to the data of hundreds of US government employees.
