Unique 0-click deanonymization attack targeting Signal, Discord and hundreds of platform
3 months ago, I discovered a unique 0-click deanonymization attack that allows an attacker to grab the location of any target within a 250 mile radius. With a vulnerable app installed on a target's phone (or as a background application on their laptop), an attacker can send a malicious payload and deanonymize you within seconds--and you wouldn't even know.
I'm publishing this writeup and research as a warning, especially for journalists, activists, and hackers, about this type of undetectable attack. Hundreds of applications are vulnerable, including some of the most popular apps in the world: Signal, Discord, Twitter/X, and others. Here's how it works:
https://gist.github.com/hackermondev/45a3cdfa52246f1d1201c1e8cdef6117Open linkView original on sh.itjust.works
9 replies
The actual story here is that this was done and written up by a 15-year old high school student. As such, I have to say: bravo, well done!
The claim to „deanonimization“ is stretching it quite far. At best, you could prove a known person (which you know how to contact) was indeed physically in a certain location. This can be useful, but it’s hardly deanon in the traditional sense.
Doesn't even guarantee physical location, only the location of their VPN endpoint.
Do any of the good VPN providers leak DNS? Most VPNs claim to allow evading geolocation, if they leaked DNS that wouldnt be true?
it may not be a big deal for an average person but for a journalist or a political figure, it can cause big problems
A journalist or political figure can install a $5 VPN.
And even in their own example attack against the Discord CTO, their location got them down to 90% of the US. I could have guessed that without the attack.
If you can install another app on their phone already, then this really doesn't matter.
Quite overblown, this tracks people to the nearest cloudflare region. Not really de-anonymising, especially as you have to already know their contact details.
And have access to install another app on their phone.
If you're already getting another app on their phone, that app could lots more.
I think idea is that the app would already be there, for a journalist, having Signal is probably a given.