this post was submitted on 26 Jan 2025
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Cybersecurity

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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:

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Doesn't even guarantee physical location, only the location of their VPN endpoint.

[–] sun_is_ra 1 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

it may not be a big deal for an average person but for a journalist or a political figure, it can cause big problems

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

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.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago

If you can install another app on their phone already, then this really doesn't matter.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Quite overblown, this tracks people to the nearest cloudflare region. Not really de-anonymising, especially as you have to already know their contact details.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 weeks ago

I think idea is that the app would already be there, for a journalist, having Signal is probably a given.