Telemessage is a signal clone used by the Trump administration and has been hacked
According to the report 404 Media. Telemessage is an Israeli company that provides modified versions of encrypted messaging applications such as signals and telegrams.
Last week, former U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz used a modified version of Telemessage to archive messages. Today’s report shows that other senior government officials who existed on the app, including Marco Rubio, Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance, were present on the app.
The nameless hackers are able to access archived chats, but it looks like they don’t get into any conversations with the waltz. However, the hack did prove that the app’s message archiving service was not end-to-end encrypted.
The hackers also accessed contact information from government officials, login certificates for telecommunications, and data related to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency. Some businesses using the service, such as Coinbase and Scotiabank, have also been hacked. 404 MediA talk to an anonymous hacker, who said the whole thing “takes about 15-20 minutes” and “not working hard at all.” Telemessage’s parent company, Smarsh, has not commented on the matter.
All of this happened after Waltz accidentally revealed he used TV shows at a cabinet meeting last week. This has led to people questioning what kind of information the app shares on the app. Now we know it’s not that good.
TV Reuters Said it was “investigating potential security incidents” and suspending its services “out of caution.”
Of course, it’s only a few weeks since the signal gate is away, and in this case top U.S. officials are using messaging apps to discuss active combat operations. Before the Trump administration, administration officials often avoid using consumer messaging apps to develop military plans. Instead, they used sensitive compartment information facilities (SCIFs) and internally encrypted communication channels.
Updated, May 5, 2025, 3:38 PM ET: Telemessage added a statement to confirm that they are investigating security incidents.
