Wouldn’t call it fake, but I can see how someone would feel a bit cheated by this headline. I do mildly.
Comment on Apple patches bug that let FBI access deleted Signal messages
remington@beehaw.org 6 months agoHow is this story fake?
markz@suppo.fi 6 months ago
LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 6 months ago
Huh? It seems accurate to me.
Ooops@feddit.org 6 months 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.
Ooops@feddit.org 6 months 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 6 months ago
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 6 months ago
Agreed, this is very weird that signal is being mentioned at all.
Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
Not at all, if you actually read the article, in which the connection to Signal is laid out clearly.