Meta Reveals Attempted Hacking By Iranian Group On WhatsApp Account Of US Officials

President Joe Biden, is one of Iran's hacking targets (photo: x @JoeBiden)

JAKARTA - On Friday, August 23, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, revealed that they had detected hacking attempts targeting US officials' WhatsApp accounts from the administration of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Meta accused the Iranian hacker group known as APT42 of being the perpetrator behind the hacking attempt, a group previously revealed involved in the Trump campaign compromise.

In a blog post, Meta explained that the hacking attempt was carried out through a "social engineering" method on WhatsApp, where fake accounts pretended to be technical support from large companies such as AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft.

Users who feel suspicious have reported this activity, which then prompted Meta to block these accounts. The company also stated that, so far, there is no evidence to suggest that the WhatsApp account that is the target has actually been hacked.

APT42 is a hacker group believed to have links to the intelligence division within Iran's military. The group is notorious for frequently installing surveillance software on its victims' phones, allowing them to record phone calls, steal text messages, and enable cameras and microphones secretly.

The APT42 activity has also been linked to the hacking attempt of the US presidential campaign reported by Microsoft and Google earlier this month, ahead of the US presidential election which will take place in November.

Even so, Meta did not reveal the identity of the individual who was the target of the hack. They only stated that these hacker groups appear to focus on political and diplomatic officials, business figures, and other public figures, including some of whom are linked to the administration of President Biden and former President Trump. These targets come from various countries, including the United States, Israel, Palestinian territories, Iran, and Britain.

Meta emphasizes the importance of user awareness of the growing social engineering efforts, especially amid the increasing global cybersecurity threats that often involve state actors. The company also warns users to always be vigilant and report suspicious activities they encounter on digital platforms.