Exposed: Secret Chats of Trump's team through Hacked Messenger App
- Kira Johnson
- + - 2 Mins Read
Trump's private communications through a unique messaging platform have reportedly been breached. - Trump's Personal Communication Channel Breached Through Special Messaging Service
Secret chats involving Donald Trump's team are in the spotlight once again, this time due to a hacked messenger service. In an exposé by '404 Media', an anonymous hacker claims to have gaining access to Telemessage, a messaging platform used by governments and businesses, including Trump's administration.
This Israeli company offers modified versions of popular messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram, or WeChat that cater to governments and businesses, with additional features such as archiving messages. While the original Signal app is lauded for its robust encryption and privacy protection, Telemessage's modifications have opened up security loopholes.
Easy as Pie
In a revealing conversation with '404 Media', the hacker detailed their simple hacking process. They had used Telemessage's version of Signal, which had gained notoriety for its use by Trump's team. The hacker discovered the vulnerability because they were curious; the severity of the hack took them by surprise as it only took 15 minutes to succeed.
The hacker's entry point was a seemingly secure feature—message archiving—that became a vulnerability due to Telemessage's server infrastructure. While Signal chats can only be eavesdropped upon if access to one of the devices is obtained, the hacker found that the archive files, including unencrypted message logs, phone numbers, and even login information, were stored on easily breachable servers. '404 Media' verified the legitimacy of the data provided by the hacker, confirming that it belonged to U.S. government agencies, financial institutions, and even the Washington D.C. police.
Government Officials in the Crosshairs
While no data from Trump's administration was found in the hack, the hacker had not intentionally targeted them. However, it is known that Trump's team utilized Telemessage: visible chats indicated conversations between national security advisor Mike Waltz, Vice President J.D. Vance, and national intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard.
The hacker is concerned about the longevity of such vulnerabilities, expressing the possibility that hacker groups worldwide could exploit the gaps in supposedly secure systems like Telemessage. While Mike Waltz faced consequences even before the hack became public (he was dismissed as a national security advisor), it remains unclear if '404 Media's request to the White House played a role in this decision.
Sources: '404 Media' and NBC
- Donald Trump
- Jeffrey Goldberg
- Mike Waltz
- J.D. Vance
- Tulsi Gabbard
Insights:
- TeleMessage and Signal: While TeleMessage builds on Signal's encryption foundation to offer custom solutions for governments and businesses, it appears that structural modifications, particularly message archiving, undermine the app's security.
- Recent Breach: In May 2025, TeleMessage suffered a security breach where an attacker exploited vulnerabilities to gain access to archived communications and sensitive information linked to various U.S. government officials, businesses, and financial institutions.
- Investigations and Responses: Following the incident, TeleMessage temporarily suspended its services and engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate. The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection disabled the app on agency devices. Senator Ron Wyden called for a Department of Justice investigation, pointing to issues related to foreign ownership, security flaws, and potential contract violations.
- Conclusion: TeleMessage's security is inferior to the original Signal app given recent incidents and structural weaknesses, making it suboptimal for confidential government communications.
- The hacked messenger service mentioned in the article, '404 Media's exposé, includes platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, or WeChat, which have been modified by Telemessage, a company primarily serving governments and businesses, including Donald Trump's administration.
- The hacker who exposed the breach in Telemessage's service expressed concern about the potential exploitation of similar vulnerabilities in supposedly secure systems, such as technology platforms used in politics, general-news, and cybersecurity, potentially affecting all governments and businesses around the world.
