Hamas cyber terrorists have compromised the phones of several hundred Israeli soldiers after infecting them with malware that was embedded in a “honey trap” operation in which Hamas-affiliated actors used profiles of attractive women to entice the Israeli soldiers. The soldiers were then conned into chatting over messaging platforms and ultimately downloading malicious malware that was sent secretly by Hamas actors posing as women. The malware was designed to return critical device information and has the capability to access key device functions including the camera, microphone, contact information, and stored messages.
The incidents represent the latest chapter in an ongoing cyber offensive perpetrated by Hamas against the Israeli government and military agencies. Last May, the Israeli military responded to cybercrimes that targeted the country by retaliating with a missile strike. This was the first time a physical response had been authorised for a cyber attack. The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed that the soldiers’ phones have been compromised after messaging the attacks on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The threat actors tricked the soldiers into downloading three separate dating apps that contained the highly sophisticated and high-risk malware.
Read More: Terrorist Android Malware Exposed: Here Are The Hamas Apps That Hacked Israeli Soldiers
