Suspected Iranian hacker attacks have prompted Meta to block several accounts on its messaging service Whatsapp. A “threatening actor” has sent messages from the affected accounts, it said.
Meta: Cyberattacks on US politics
The target of the attack is said to have been people with ties to the current administration of Joe Biden and the entourage of former President Donald Trump. According to Meta, attempts were made to attack “people in Israel, Palestine, Iran, the USA and Great Britain”.
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The Iranian hacker group APT42 is said to be behind the attack, as the Deutsche Welle reportsThe hackers gathered there are also known by the names UNC788 and Mint Sandstorm.
Hackers pose as support staff
According to Meta, the cyber criminals had posed as support employees of US tech companies such as AOL, Google, Yahoo and Microsoft – so-called social engineering. The APT42 hackers are known for their persistent attempts to steal access data to online accounts using simple phishing methods.
Meta is said to have become aware of the alleged cyberattacks because affected individuals reported suspicious messages. According to the company, there is currently no evidence that the individuals’ accounts have been compromised, as heise.de writes.
Influence of Iranian actors
Microsoft and Google had previously reported similar attacks. According to Microsoft, there is currently “significant influence from Iranian actors”.
Cyberattacks with a political background, especially from Iran, appear to be increasing in the run-up to the US presidential election in November 2024. Tensions in the Middle East are also likely to fuel such incidents.
Trump campaign team hacked
A few weeks ago, US media were given access to internal communications from Donald Trump’s campaign team following a hacker attack, presumably from Iran. The centerpiece is said to have been a detailed dossier on Trump’s vice presidential candidate JD Vance. The FBI has launched an investigation into the case.
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US intelligence services declared In this context, they stated that they had observed increasing “aggressive Iranian activities” during this election cycle. These were aimed “particularly at influencing the US public and at cyber operations against presidential elections.”
Kamala Harris also in the crosshairs
The campaign team of US Vice President Kamala Harris had also previously stated that they had been the target of a foreign cyber attack, as the FAZ reports.
Iran, according to US intelligence, views the US presidential election as having significant consequences for its national security interests, which in turn increases the country’s inclination to “influence the outcome.”
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