It turns out that including a reporter in a group chat among national security leaders about military strikes is not the only way to compromise sensitive information on Signal. On Tuesday, NPR reported that a few days after the Trump administration’s absurd and dangerous national security blunder, the Pentagon issued a warning against using the messenger due to a phishing vulnerability.
“A vulnerability has been discovered in the Signal messaging app,” reads an email obtained by NPR. “Russian professional hacking groups are exploiting [Signal’s] ‘connected devices’ feature to spy on encrypted conversations.” The outlet claims that the memo states that Russian hacking groups “target Signal Messenger to spy on individuals of interest.”
A Signal spokesperson told NPR that the memo is not about Signal’s security, but about phishing attacks on the platform. So, if you use the app, be especially attentive to attempts to fraudulently link devices to your account. Or simply communicate through different channels.
The Pentagon directive comes in the wake of a scandal that, at least in previous eras, would have ended the careers of a long list of senior officials. (In this case… who knows?) Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg reported Monday that a group of Trump administration national security officials inadvertently included him in a Signal group chat discussing military strikes in Yemen.
The conversation included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President J.D. Vance, National Security Advisor Michael Walz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, among others. Under Goldberg’s de facto leadership, they discussed the timing, targets, and weapons used in the bombing of Houthi targets in Yemen.
A 2023 Defense Department memo prohibited the use of mobile apps, even for “controlled unclassified information.” NPR notes that military planning is much more sensitive. And that’s not even taking into account the accidental inclusion of a journalist in the conversation.
While the fallout is still taking shape, here are some first impressions. Watch below as retired U.S. Navy Captain and current U.S. Senator Mark Kelly questions Hubbard and Ratcliffe on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
