Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Pentagon officials issued a warning about the use of Signal on March 18, just days after The Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg was included on a group chat on the application where high-ranking officials discussed military plans, NPR reported on Tuesday.Newsweek reached out to the Department of Defense for comment via email.Why It MattersThe reporting from NPR comes after Goldberg said he was accidentally included on the group, where several Trump administration officials discussed plans for airstrikes on Houthi-held areas of Yemen.Those officials are now facing bipartisan criticism and calls for their resignation for allegedly discussing their military plans on Signal. Critics say the breach could have compromised the operation and posed a broader risk to U.S. national security.What to KnowNPR on Tuesday published the email sent out that warned of a “vulnerability” in the Signal app.”A vulnerability has been identified in the Signal messenger application,” the email reads. “The use of Signal by common targets of surveillance and espionage activity has made the application a high value target to intercept sensitive information.”
An aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on November 29, 2022.
An aerial view of the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on November 29, 2022.
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It continues: “Russian professional hacking groups are employing the ‘linked devices’ features to spy on encrypted conversations. The feature allows the chat and voice messenger application to be utilized on multiple devices concurrently.”The email warns that these hacking groups embed “malicious QR codes in phishing pages” or conceal them in group invite links. After gaining access via the codes, the groups add their own devices as a linked device and can then view every message sent by the user in real time and bypass the “end-to-end encryption.”It then offered steps to safeguard their Signal application and noted that the use of apps like Signal are permitted for “unclassified accountability/recall exercises” but not to store nonpublic unclassified information.The Hacker News reported on the vulnerability in FebruaryIt’s not the first time a vulnerability has been reported in the Signal app.Gizmodo reported in July 2024 that Signal’s desktop app created an SQLite database that is stored as a plain text file on the machine when installed. This means anyone with access to the machine would have access to the file.Goldberg wrote that he first received a Signal connection request from National Security Advisor Mike Waltz on March 11 and that the conversations about the strike against the Houthis—who have been launching attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea for over a year—unfolded over several days and allegedly included sensitive details about the strike.Several members of the Trump administration, including Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, were included in the chat.Brian Hughes, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, confirmed the authenticity of the message chain to Goldberg and said the administration was “reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”What People Are SayingPresident Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday: “There was no classified information, as I understand it, they used an app if you want to call it an app. That’s an app that a lot of people us.”He said the app is “used by the media a lot. It’s used by a lot of the military, and I think, successfully, but sometimes somebody can get onto those things that’s one of the prices you pay when you’re not sitting in the Situation Room” and that the app is “the best technology for the moment.”Senator Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat said Tuesday: “If this information had gotten out, American lives could have been lost. If the Houthis had this information they could reposition their defensive systems.”Senator Angus King, a Maine Independent, said Tuesday: “It’s hard for me to believe that targets and timing and weapons would not have been classified.”What Happens NextThese officials are expected to continue facing criticism and resignation calls over the coming days over their use of Signal, but none have indicated they plan to step down.
