CNN
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An Iranian hacker group has targeted the WhatsApp accounts of people associated with the administrations of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, Meta announced on Friday.
“This malicious activity originated in Iran and targeted individuals in Israel, Palestine, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom,” the social media giant said in a statement, noting that the efforts primarily focused on “political and diplomatic officials and other public figures, including some associated with the administration of President Biden and former President Trump.”
This new report from Meta adds to the growing list of attempts by Iran-backed hackers to influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Just last week, Google said a suspected Iranian hacking operation targeting U.S. presidential campaigns was underway and extensive in scope. Previously, the platform disclosed unsuccessful attempts by hackers to log into the email accounts of people associated with Biden, Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns.
On Monday, US intelligence agencies officially linked Iran to a hacker attack on Trump’s campaign team. Previously, hackers had attempted to use the email account of Trump agent Roger Stone to break into the account of another campaign employee.
When asked about the alleged recent hacking attacks by Iran, the FBI referred to a statement on Monday.
The intelligence community “believes that the Iranians have used social engineering and other efforts to gain access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both parties,” the FBI and other agencies said in a joint statement on Monday.
Meta said the company’s investigation revealed a connection to a group called “APT42,” which is known for using phishing tactics to steal credentials to users’ online accounts.
Meta’s security team blocked a group of accounts posing as support agents from various technology companies and linked this activity to APT42.
“We have not seen any evidence that the targeted WhatsApp accounts were compromised, but out of an abundance of caution, we are sharing our findings publicly and also sharing information with law enforcement and our industry colleagues,” the technology company said.
CNN has reached out to both the White House and the Trump team for comment.
