Meta announced that an Iranian hacker group targeted WhatsApp accounts associated with the administrations of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The malicious activity, originating in Iran, aimed at individuals in Israel, Palestine, Iran, the United States, and the UK, focusing primarily on political and diplomatic officials and other public figures. This report adds to the increasing number of attempts by Iranian-backed hackers to influence the 2024 US presidential election, with Google recently reporting an ongoing hacking operation targeting US presidential campaigns.
Google revealed last week that an alleged Iranian hacking operation continues to target US presidential campaigns, with unsuccessful attempts to log in to the email accounts of individuals associated with Biden, Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, and both Democratic and Republican campaigns. US intelligence agencies officially linked Iran to a hack and leak operation targeting Trump’s campaign, with hackers using access to Roger Stone’s email account to try to breach another campaign official’s account. The FBI confirmed that Iranians have attempted to access individuals with direct access to both political party’s presidential campaigns through social engineering and other efforts.
Meta’s investigation connected the hacking attempts to a group known as “APT42,” which is notorious for using phishing tactics to steal credentials from online accounts. Meta’s security team blocked a group of accounts posing as support agents for various tech companies, identifying this activity as linked to APT42. While there is no evidence of the targeted WhatsApp accounts being compromised, Meta shared its findings publicly out of caution and has provided information to law enforcement and industry peers. CNN has reached out to the White House and the Trump campaign for comment on the situation.
Overall, the Iranian hacker group’s targeting of WhatsApp accounts associated with Biden, Trump, and other public figures in various countries underscores the ongoing threat posed by cyber attacks from state-sponsored actors. These hacking attempts are part of a broader campaign to influence political events and elections, with the US intelligence community actively monitoring and responding to these threats. By identifying and blocking activities linked to groups like APT42, tech companies like Meta play a crucial role in defending against cyber threats and safeguarding the integrity of online communications. Continued vigilance and collaboration between government agencies, tech companies, and other stakeholders are essential to effectively combatting cyber attacks and protecting individuals’ online security and privacy.
