{"id":41245,"date":"2021-06-08T01:53:33","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T01:53:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/australian-cops-fbi-created-backdoored-chat-app-told-crims-it-was-secure-then-listened-to-9000-users-plots\/"},"modified":"2021-06-08T01:53:33","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T01:53:33","slug":"australian-cops-fbi-created-backdoored-chat-app-told-crims-it-was-secure-then-listened-to-9000-users-plots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/australian-cops-fbi-created-backdoored-chat-app-told-crims-it-was-secure-then-listened-to-9000-users-plots\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian cops, FBI created backdoored chat app, told crims it was secure \u2014 then listened to 9,000 users&#8217; plots"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has revealed it was able to decrypt messages sent on a supposedly secure messaging app that was seeded into the organised crime community and promoted as providing snoop-proof comms.<\/p>\n<p>But the app was built by the FBI, and law enforcement authorities were able to tune into conversations between about 9,000 users scattered around Earth.<\/p>\n<p>Results in Australia alone have included over 500 warrants executed, 200-plus arrests, seizure of $45m, and prevention of a credible threat to murder a family of five. Over 4,000 AFP officers were involved in raids overnight, Australian time. Europol and the FBI will detail their use of the app in the coming hours.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"adun\" data-pos=\"top\" data-raptor=\"condor\" data-xsm=\",fluid,mpu,\" data-sm=\",fluid,mpu,\" data-md=\",fluid,leaderboard,mpu,\" data-lg=\",fluid,leaderboard,\" data-xlg=\",fluid,superleaderboard,billboard,leaderboard,\"> <noscript> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/jump?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=2&amp;c=2YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=2&amp;c=2YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0\" alt> <\/a> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<p>The existence of the app \u2014 part of Operation Ironside \u2014 was revealed at a press conference in Australia today, where AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw detailed that informal beer-based meetings between members of the AFP and the FBI cooked up the idea of creating a backdoored app. The idea built on previous such efforts such as the <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theregister.com\/2018\/10\/03\/phone_ceo_pleads_guilty\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Phantom Secure<\/a> platform.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"adun\" data-pos=\"top\" data-raptor=\"falcon\" data-xxlg=\",fluid,billboard,superleaderboard,brandwidth,brandimpact,leaderboard,mpu,\"> <noscript> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/jump?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=4&amp;c=44YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=4&amp;c=44YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D426raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" alt> <\/a> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<div class=\"adun_eagle_desktop_story_wrapper\">\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"adun\" data-pos=\"mid\" data-raptor=\"eagle\" data-xxlg=\",mpu,dmpu,\"> <noscript> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/jump?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=3&amp;c=33YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=3&amp;c=33YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" alt> <\/a> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The app, called AN0M, was seeded into the organised crime community. The app could only run on mobile phones that could not make calls or send emails and could only communicate with other AN0M-equipped phones. The app required payment of a monthly fee.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were able to see every handset that was handed out and attribute it to individuals,\u201d Kershaw said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCriminals needed to know a criminal to get a device,\u201d said the AFP\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afp.gov.au\/news-media\/media-releases\/afp-led-operation-ironside-smashes-organised-crime\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">announcement<\/a> of the operation. \u201cThe devices organically circulated and grew in popularity among criminals, who were confident of the legitimacy of the app because high-profile organised crime figures vouched for its integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But the software had a backdoor. Commissioner Kershaw said the organisation he leads \u201cprovided a technical capability to decrypt the messages,\u201d and that as a result the force, the FBI, and Europol were able to observe communications among criminals in plain text.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"adun\" data-pos=\"top\" data-raptor=\"falcon\" data-xsm=\",fluid,mpu,\" data-sm=\",fluid,mpu,\" data-md=\",fluid,leaderboard,mpu,\" data-lg=\",fluid,mpu,leaderboard,\" data-xlg=\",fluid,billboard,superleaderboard,mpu,leaderboard,\"> <noscript> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/jump?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=4&amp;c=44YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=4&amp;c=44YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D426raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" alt> <\/a> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<p>\u201cAll they talk about is drugs and violence,\u201d Kershaw said. \u201cThere was no attempt to hide behind any kind of codified information.\u201d Intercepts included comments about planned murders and information about where and when speedboats would appear to shift contraband.<\/p>\n<p>Kershaw said the surveillance enabled by the app is legal under the terms of Australia\u2019s Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018. Law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions also had legal cover for their use of the software.<\/p>\n<p>However, some of those authorities were set to expire. That, and an operational decision to end the operation due to the opportunity to act on intelligence gathered using AN0M, led to today\u2019s disclosures.<\/p>\n<div aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"adun\" data-pos=\"mid\" data-raptor=\"eagle\" data-xsm=\",mpu,dmpu,\" data-sm=\",mpu,dmpu,\" data-md=\",mpu,dmpu,\" data-lg=\",mpu,dmpu,\" data-xlg=\",mpu,dmpu,\"> <noscript> <a href=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/jump?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=3&amp;c=33YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pubads.g.doubleclick.net\/gampad\/ad?co=1&amp;iu=\/6978\/reg_security\/front&amp;sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&amp;tile=3&amp;c=33YL7PVg1S4fCrNvgQksxE5gAAAEQ&amp;t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0\" alt> <\/a> <\/noscript> <\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe use of encrypted apps represents significant challenges,\u201d Kershaw said. \u201cAN0M gave us insights we never had before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The commissioner acknowledged that criminals will now adjust their behaviour as a result of this news, but suggested the AFP is working to develop similar capabilities. \u201cThis was a small platform. We know there are bigger ones. We will ensure we have the technology to disrupt criminals.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>FBI International Operations Division legal attach\u00e9 for Australia, Anthony Russo, offered similar comments, saying \u201cCriminals should be on notice that law enforcement are resolute to continue to evolve our capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kershaw somewhat smugly suggested that organised crime will take a while to bounce back from this operation, as intercepts of AN0M messages and conversations suggest that arrests made before the app was revealed have sparked internecine warfare and revenge plots. \u00ae<\/p>\n<p> READ MORE <a href=\"https:\/\/go.theregister.com\/feed\/www.theregister.com\/2021\/06\/08\/operation_ironside_anom\/\">HERE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hundreds of arrests already in Oz, details of European and US ops to be revealed soon The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has revealed it was able to decrypt messages sent on a supposedly secure messaging app that was seeded into the organised crime community and promoted as providing snoop-proof comms.\u2026 READ MORE HERE&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"colormag_page_layout":"default_layout","footnotes":""},"categories":[63],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-register"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Australian cops, FBI created backdoored chat app, told crims it was secure \u2014 then listened to 9,000 users&#039; plots 2026 | ThreatsHub Cybersecurity News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"ThreatsHub Cybersecurity News | ThreatsHub.org | Cloud Security &amp; Cyber Threats Analysis Hub. 100% Free OSINT Threat Intelligent and Cybersecurity News.\" \/>\n<meta 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