How is this story fake?
Comment on Apple patches bug that let FBI access deleted Signal messages
Ooops@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
What actual news did I miss that triggered the half a dozen fake hacked/bug articles regarding Signal I read in the last 48 hours?
remington@beehaw.org 2 weeks ago
Ooops@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
There was an Apple bug that allowed restoring information from their notification system. So Apple leaked info from Apps that used the notifications. From any App. Why is this talking about Signal? Why not a “Apple patches bug that allowed access to E2E encrypted WhatsApp messages”? Why not “bug that allowed access to your call history even after deletion”? Because those are all equally true. What’s reason we are talking about Signal here.
And to add more context: the exact same was true for the other “Signal bug/hack/exploit” articles I mentioned. No actual connection to Signal at all, yet that was always the story told.
Apple fucks up an leaks all private information that passes through their notification system? “Bug that allowed to read Signal messages!” Idiot fell for phishing attempt and logged into a fake website giving someone else full access to their device? “Hacker managed to access XY’s Signal account!”. I left my door standing wide open when leaving to work and got robbed? “Doors don’t actually protect your stuff!”
Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
What’s reason we are talking about Signal here.
That’s very easy to answer. Signal comes up here because that’s what actually happened in the case that brought the bug to light.
The FBI recovered message content from the Apple notification service that happened to come from Signal, and used it to secure a conviction against people who used Signal in planning their anti-ICE activities
Unlucky for Signal from a PR perspective but that’s just how what actually happened, so people weite about that rather than hypotheticals where other encrypted messaging apps would have suffered the same issue.
teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 2 weeks ago
Agreed, this is very weird that signal is being mentioned at all.
Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
Not at all, if you actually read the article, in which the connection to Signal is laid out clearly.
markz@suppo.fi 2 weeks ago
Wouldn’t call it fake, but I can see how someone would feel a bit cheated by this headline. I do mildly.
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
Huh? It seems accurate to me.
Ooops@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
A bug in Apple’s notification system allowed extraction even when the message that triggered the notification was deleted.
This means access you any text you got. This means a list of any incoming calls. This means all your appointments that your phone reminded you of.
And instead we get a story about deleted Signal messages, prominently featuring Signal in the thumbnail and picture while failing to mention any of the other notification bug implementations.
How is that accurate or even just sane reporting? Either it’s an incredibly stupid take or there is an actual agenda focusing on Signal here. And when I see several of those (including stuff like people falling for phishing attempts and giving away access to their devices being reported as “Hackers getting access to Signal account”) within just a few days I tend to assume the latter.
henfredemars@infosec.pub 2 weeks ago
Apple was saving notifications on the device storage, which provides a way for forensics to extract some of the past messages.
Ooops@feddit.org 2 weeks ago
Wasn’t my point. What’s going in with Signal to tell the story of accessing deleted Signal messages (and multiple are Signal hack/ bug/exploit headlines seen within a short time frame) when this is exactly zero about Signal?
Fifrok@discuss.tchncs.de 2 weeks ago
I remember an article (read it somewhere around 10 days ago) where something was used to access Signal messages of a defendant in a case regarding an attack (shooting I think) on a ICE concentration camp. Might be this, but I’m not sure.