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Apple patches bug that let FBI access deleted Signal messages (san.com)
submitted 4 months ago by [M] to c/technology@beehaw.org
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[–] 6 points 4 months ago (13 children)

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?

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  • [–] 37 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    Apple was saving notifications on the device storage, which provides a way for forensics to extract some of the past messages.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago* (1 child)

    Wasn't my point. What's going on with Signal to tell the story of accessing deleted Signal messages (and multiple other Signal hack/ bug/exploit headlines I'vs seen within a short time frame) when this is exactly zero about Signal?

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  • [–] 4 points 4 months 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.

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  • [–] [S] 12 points 4 months ago (9 children)

    How is this story fake?

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  • [–] 9 points 4 months ago* (3 children)

    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 and 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? "Locked doors don't actually protect your stuff!"

    Those 3 statements are equally stupid. I am pretty sure the third one would trigger you to question either my sanity or if I think you are an idiot and why I would try to convince you that doors are useless. Why don't the other two?

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months 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 what actually happened, so people write about that rather than hypotheticals where other encrypted messaging apps would have suffered the same issue.

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  • [–] 0 points 4 months ago (4 children)

    Wouldn't call it fake, but I can see how someone would feel a bit cheated by this headline. I do mildly.

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  • [–] 7 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Huh? It seems accurate to me.

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  • [–] 5 points 4 months ago* (2 children)

    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 implications of that Apple-specific bug.

    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.

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago

    The people trying to destroy privacy really want Signal to get smeared and go away. Any time any kind of scandal shows up where Signal was being used it's always a headline in this light when the majority I have all seen are due to user error and/or stupidity.

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