The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Federal Office for Information Security warn of a wave of attacks that are “probably state‑controlled cyber actors”.
This warning comes from a letter sent to members of the German Bundestag, reported by the magazine “Spiegel”. According to the letter, the attackers are focusing on high‑ranking targets from politics, the military, diplomacy, and investigative journalists in Germany and Europe.
The perpetrators aim to eavesdrop on the messages of their victims in the Signal messenger app. The app is widely used by journalists and politicians because it is regarded as especially secure: all chats and calls are encrypted. The BSI and the domestic intelligence agency say that hackers have found ways-mainly through phishing-to gain access to the Signal accounts of their victims.
The campaign is regarded as “particularly security relevant” when it involves senior figures. A successful hack into a messenger account would allow the intruders not only to read private communications but also to potentially compromise entire networks via group chats. The information obtained could be used for further intelligence or criminal operations.