Hackers accessed Telegram accounts in Iran, a security duo investigated the security breach and will present its findings at the Black Hat Conference. 15 million Iranian Telegram accounts have been compromised, users have reportedly had their personal information exposed (phone number, Telegram ID). The security researchers Collin Anderson and have investigated the case, more than a dozen Telegram accounts were compromised and 15 million Iranian users’ telephone numbers were identified. Tom Clancy`s Ghost Recon Future Soldier Demo. On Thursday at the Black Hat conference, the security duo will present a paper related their analysis.

Read writing about Telegram in Hacker Noon. How hackers start their afternoons. The hack only affected the browser-based versions of WhatsApp and Telegram, so users relying on the mobile apps are not vulnerable to the attack.

The alleged hack would have compromised the communications of sensitive people in Iran, including activists and journalists. “Iranian hackers have compromised more than a dozen accounts on the Telegram instant messaging service and identified the phone numbers of 15 million Iranian users, the largest known breach of the encrypted communications system” the Reuters. “The attacks, which took place this year and have not been previously reported, jeopardized the communications of activists, journalists and other people in sensitive positions in Iran, where Telegram is used by some 20 million people, said independent cyber researcher Collin Anderson and Amnesty International technologist Claudio Guarnieri, who have been studying Iranian hacking groups for three years.” According to the Reuters, the attackers exploited a security issue in the way Telegram verify user’s identity by using SMS messages. When users want to log on to Telegram from a new device, Telegram sends them the authorization codes via SMS. Unfortunately, this SMS could be intercepted by the Telco company that could provide it to the attackers. We saw something of similar when we discussed another way to obtain the authorization code by exploiting. “Telegram’s vulnerability, according to Anderson and Guarnieri, lies in its use of SMS text messages to activate new devices.