Posts by signalapp@mastodon.world
(DIR) Post #B45UgFAOveU9Dle6ZU by signalapp@mastodon.world
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We are aware of recent reports regarding targeted phishing attacks that have resulted in account takeovers of some Signal users, including government officials and journalists. We take this very seriously.To be clear: Signal’s encryption and infrastructure have not been compromised and remain robust. These attacks were executed via sophisticated phishing campaigns, designed to trick users into sharing information – SMS codes and/or Signal PIN – to gain access to users’ accounts.
(DIR) Post #B45UgG6tQBH09B0ok4 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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These attacks, like all phishing, rely on social engineering. Attackers impersonate trusted contacts or services (such as the non-existent “Signal Support Bot”) to trick victims into handing over their login credentials or other information. To help prevent this, remember that your Signal SMS verification code is only ever needed when you are first signing up for the Signal app.
(DIR) Post #B45UgGb1c9NNed6si0 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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To protect people from such phishing, Signal actively warns users against sharing their SMS code and PIN. We also want to emphasize that Signal Support will *never* initiate contact via in-app messages, SMS, or social media to ask for your verification code or PIN. If anyone asks for any Signal related code, it is a scam. We make this clear when users receive their SMS code during initial signup.
(DIR) Post #B45UgH3jtOLR5gXoSu by signalapp@mastodon.world
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While we build robust technical safeguards, user vigilance is ultimately the best defense against phishing. We will continue to work on mitigating these risks via interface design and signposting throughout the app. In the meantime, please stay alert, and never share your SMS verification code or Signal PIN with anyone. https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/9932566320410-Staying-Safe-from-Phishing-Scams-and-Impersonation
(DIR) Post #B5aJhvdFV3MHQ40svQ by signalapp@mastodon.world
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We are very happy that today Apple issued a patch and a security advisory. This comes following 404 Media reporting that the FBI accessed Signal message notification content via iOS despite the app being deleted. Apple’s advisory confirmed that the bugs that allowed this to happen have been fixed in the latest iOS release. You can read more here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/127002
(DIR) Post #B5aJhwfPeUgQd427w8 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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Note that no action is needed for this fix to protect Signal users on iOS. Once you install the patch, all inadvertently-preserved notifications will be deleted and no forthcoming notifications will be preserved for deleted applications.
(DIR) Post #B5aJhx87vjeU47T3h2 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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We’re grateful to Apple for the quick action here, and for understanding and acting on the stakes of this kind of issue. It takes an ecosystem to preserve the fundamental human right to private communication.
(DIR) Post #B5jNOVltZZyLx3h3wm by signalapp@mastodon.world
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A response to recent reporting in Germany, in service of clarity and accountability: First, it’s important to be precise when it comes to critical infrastructure like Signal. Signal was not “hacked” — in that our encryption, infrastructure, and the integrity of the app’s code was not compromised. 1/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyBVcsvThIwuh60 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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However, sophisticated attackers have engaged in a harmful phishing campaign, posing as “Signal Support” by changing their profile display name and using social engineering to trick people into handing over their credentials — information that allowed these attackers to take over some targeted Signal accounts. This is something that plagues any mainstream messaging app once it reaches the scale of Signal, but we know how high the stakes are given the trust people place in us. 2/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyBuROfKMXuWVm4 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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In the coming weeks, you’ll see us rolling out a number of changes to help hinder these kinds of attacks. 3/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyCFM8u3damJDNI by signalapp@mastodon.world
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Because we don’t collect user data, what we know about these attacks comes from the victims of phishing. And from what victims have told us, the attacks followed a broad pattern: after tricking people into revealing their Signal credentials, attackers then used those credentials to take over their account and also frequently changed the associated phone number. 4/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyCc2mYCoj8vKjo by signalapp@mastodon.world
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Because such a change results in de-registering your Signal accounts, attackers prepared people for this by telling them that being de-registered was intended behavior, and that all they would need to do is “re-register,” or, create a new account. When they moved to create a new Signal account — one that was now decoupled from their hijacked account — the victims thought they were logging back in to their primary account. 5/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyCyNRW4PqPNAY4 by signalapp@mastodon.world
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As a result, many didn't notice the takeover. The compromised accounts were then weaponized to target the victims' contact lists by posing as the owners of the account. 6/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyDMTztLv3AeQ7c by signalapp@mastodon.world
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We understand the trust that people put in Signal, and how devastating this kind of social engineering can be. While it’s true that all messaging platforms are susceptible to scammers and phishing that betrays people’s trust and convinces them to “unlock the front door” where no backdoor exists, we are looking to do everything we can to help people avoid and detect such scams. 7/
(DIR) Post #B5jSyDkaYGdQFvvfhA by signalapp@mastodon.world
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For the time being, please stay vigilant against phishing and account takeover attempts. Remember that no one from Signal Support will ever send you a message request or ask for your registration verification code or Signal PIN. For an added layer of protection, you can enable Registration Lock in your Signal Settings (Account -> Registration Lock). 8/
(DIR) Post #B6Cphv8FwGCCPQ29lA by signalapp@mastodon.world
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To help protect Signal users from phishing and social engineering attacks, we’ve introduced additional confirmations and educational messaging in the app to help people better detect fraudulent profiles, especially message requests from scammers posing as Signal. More changes are on the way.