Ethical Hacking News
The communication app TeleMessage has been found to have a critical flaw in its design that poses a significant threat to US national security. With at least one top Trump administration official spotted using the app, concerns about data security and encryption have reached a boiling point.
TeleMessage's archiving feature poses a significant threat to US national security due to its design flaw. The app sends users' message logs in plaintext, making them accessible to the company's servers and potentially interceptable by hackers. The use of TeleMessage by high-ranking officials has raised serious concerns about the app's ability to protect user communications. Senator Ron Wyden has called for an investigation into TeleMessage, alleging that it poses a serious threat to US national security. The company, Smarsh, has stated that they are investigating a potential security incident and have engaged an external cybersecurity firm to support their investigation.
The recent revelation about the communication app TeleMessage, which was spotted on former US national security adviser Mike Waltz's phone, has sent shockwaves through the world of cybersecurity. The app, designed by Israeli company Smarsh and acquired by TeleMessage last year, has been found to have a critical flaw in its design that poses a significant threat to US national security.
According to detailed analysis conducted by journalist and security researcher Micah Lee, TeleMessage's archiving feature appears to fundamentally undermine Signal's flagship security guarantees. The app sends users' message logs in plaintext, making them accessible to the company's servers. This means that even if users are using end-to-end encryption, the messages can still be intercepted by TeleMessage.
Lee's findings are significant because they confirm his earlier suspicions about the app's security. In a weekend hack, data taken from the TeleMessage archive server revealed chat logs, usernames, and plaintext passwords, as well as private encryption keys. The fact that these logs were accessible to the company raises serious concerns about the app's ability to protect user communications.
The implications of this discovery are far-reaching and devastating. As it turns out, at least one top Trump administration official was using TeleMessage, which has only added fuel to the fire. The use of an unsecured messaging app by high-ranking officials is a recipe for disaster, especially when it comes to sensitive information.
Senator Ron Wyden has called for the Department of Justice to investigate TeleMessage, alleging that it poses a serious threat to US national security. Wyden argues that the government agencies that have adopted TeleMessage Archiver have chosen the worst possible option by giving their users an app that looks and feels like Signal but is actually insecure.
The security threat posed by TeleMessage Archiver is not theoretical; it's real, and it's dire. The fact that the company could access the contents of users' chats highlights the need for vigilance and scrutiny when it comes to government agencies adopting new technologies.
In a letter to Wyden, Smarsh stated that they were investigating a potential security incident upon detection and had engaged an external cybersecurity firm to support their investigation. However, this statement does little to alleviate the concerns surrounding TeleMessage's design and its impact on national security.
As we move forward, it is essential that lawmakers take action to address the issue at hand. The use of unsecured messaging apps by government officials raises questions about the level of oversight and accountability within our government agencies. It is crucial that we hold these agencies accountable for their actions and ensure that they are using secure technologies that protect user communications.
In conclusion, the revelation about TeleMessage's security flaw has sent shockwaves through the world of cybersecurity. The implications of this discovery are far-reaching and devastating, highlighting the need for vigilance and scrutiny when it comes to government agencies adopting new technologies. It is essential that we take action to address this issue and ensure that our government agencies are using secure technologies that protect user communications.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-Shadowy-World-of-TeleMessage-Unraveling-the-Looming-Threat-to-US-National-Security-ehn.shtml
https://www.wired.com/story/tm-signal-telemessage-plaintext-message-archive/
https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/05/signal-clone-used-by-trump-official-stops-operations-after-report-it-was-hacked/
https://www.wired.com/story/signal-clone-used-by-mike-waltz-pauses-service-after-reports-it-got-hacked/
Published: Tue May 6 15:58:07 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
