Dutch intelligence agencies warn of Russian-linked phishing campaign targeting Signal and WhatsApp accounts

How are attackers getting into Signal and WhatsApp accounts?

Dutch intelligence agencies said the attackers start conversations while posing as support (for example, “Signal support”) and persuade targets to share verification codes and PINs; with those details, attackers can take over accounts and access communications, including group chats. TechCrunch Reuters engadget

Who is being targeted in this campaign?

AIVD and MIVD said the campaign targets high-value users such as officials/civil servants and military personnel, and that journalists and other people of interest to the Russian government may also be targeted; Dutch government employees are among the targets and victims identified. Reuters Українська … TechCrunch

Does this warning mean Signal or WhatsApp encryption was broken?

The Dutch agencies described the activity as phishing and social engineering to obtain user verification details, rather than a technical compromise of the apps’ encryption. TechCrunch Reuters