August 24, 2024 at 03:42AM
Meta Platforms recently disclosed activities of an Iranian state-sponsored threat actor using WhatsApp accounts to target individuals in Israel, Palestine, Iran, the U.K., and the U.S., particularly political and diplomatic officials. The accounts, attributed to APT42, are associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. government formally accused Iran of attempting to undermine U.S. elections.
Based on the meeting notes, the key takeaways are:
– Meta Platforms has revealed that an Iranian state-sponsored threat actor, known as APT42, targeted individuals in Israel, Palestine, Iran, the U.K., and the U.S., particularly focusing on political and diplomatic officials as well as public figures associated with the administrations of President Biden and former President Trump.
– APT42 is associated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and is known for using sophisticated social engineering lures to spear-phish targets with malware and steal credentials. Proofpoint revealed that the threat actor targeted a prominent Jewish figure with malware called AnvilEcho.
– The threat actor used a “small cluster” of WhatsApp accounts posing as technical support for AOL, Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, although these efforts were believed to be unsuccessful and the accounts have since been blocked by Meta Platforms.
– The U.S. government has formally accused Iran of attempting to undermine U.S. elections, stoke divisive opinions, and erode confidence in the electoral process.
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