A new report from Der Spiegel reveals that private data, including phone numbers and passwords, of key Trump officials has been leaked online. This follows a major security breach related to a military strike discussion that was exposed by the accidental addition of a journalist to a private chat.
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth were all affected by this leak. Their personal information, such as phone numbers, email addresses, and even some passwords, were found online, and many of these accounts are still active.
Der Spiegel reported that some of these numbers and email addresses were in use just days ago. For example, Hegseth’s WhatsApp account had a profile picture of him and his children, though the account was later deleted.
The leak comes after the three officials were criticized for mistakenly adding a journalist to a Signal chat in which they were discussing sensitive plans to attack Houthi targets in Yemen. The leaked data also included links to their social media profiles, Dropbox accounts, and apps tracking running data.
In addition, several commercial databases used by marketing and recruitment firms made it easy to access Hegseth and Waltz’s personal information, including Gmail addresses and phone numbers. Hegseth’s data was found on 20 different data leak servers, and it included an email address with its associated password. However, it wasn’t tested to see if the password still worked.
Waltz’s personal information was also exposed. This included his Signal, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and LinkedIn profiles. Furthermore, it was discovered that Waltz hadn’t properly secured his Venmo account, revealing his friends list, which included political figures like Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles, as well as personalities from Fox and CNN. But security experts are more concerned about his connections to ordinary people, like doctors and real estate agents, who could be targeted in counterintelligence operations.
Security expert Michael Ard expressed concern about the vulnerability this breach created. He said that hackers could easily impersonate a contact, which is a common way to gather information.
Gabbard’s email address was harder to find but was still located on WikiLeaks and Reddit. Her phone number was linked to an active WhatsApp and Signal account.
The leaked data from top officials poses a serious risk of phishing attacks, which hackers can use to gain access to private information or services like email and PayPal. Security specialist Donald Ortmann warned that exposed data could be used to trick officials into revealing even more sensitive details.
The security mishap follows intense criticism from Congress, where Democrats blasted Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe for their part in the Signal blunder. Congressman Jim Himes stated that the situation could have led to serious consequences, like the loss of pilots.
While Trump praised Waltz publicly, reports suggest he was furious behind the scenes. A source revealed that Trump was particularly upset that Waltz had the journalist’s phone number, as the president dislikes the reporter.
