Meta Uncovers Iranian Hackers' Attempts to Breach WhatsApp Accounts of U.S. Officials

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has identified attempts by an Iranian hacker group, APT42, to breach WhatsApp accounts of U.S. officials from the Biden and Trump administrations. The hackers posed as technical support and targeted political, diplomatic, and business figures across several countries.

Meta reported identifying hacking attempts on WhatsApp accounts of U.S. officials from both Biden and Trump administrations by an Iranian hacker group APT42. The attempts, discovered in a 'small cluster of likely social engineering activity,' involved posing as technical support for major tech companies.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, blocked the accounts after users flagged suspicious activity. The company stated that there was no evidence of the accounts being compromised. The suspected hacker group is known for installing surveillance software on victims' mobile devices, capable of recording calls and stealing messages.

Hackers appeared to focus on political and diplomatic figures, business personalities, and public officials from Israel, Palestine, Iran, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The activity was linked to prior attempts to breach U.S. presidential campaigns as reported by Microsoft and Google ahead of the upcoming November election.

(With inputs from agencies.)