Top Trump aide in Signal chat was in Russia while the text stream was active—but denies he had personal or government-issued phone with him

• Special Envoy Steve Wittop was more than a dozen The members of the Trump administration are talking in the signal group, discuss sensitive information, which inevitably included the Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg. While the text flow was active, Witkoff was in Russia with President Vladimir Putin, according to flight data, CBS: Gives:

The location of the Senior Members of the Trump Department, which is involved in the signal group, inevitably shares his secret attack plans, has later concerned the potential for the potential. National safety nightmareA number

President Donald Trump Ukraine and Middle East Stevokoff was in Moscow, and the group’s conversation was active. CBS: Gives:citing data from the flight tracking site Flightradar24A number of WITKOF must meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a handful of Russian officials During his trip from March 13 to 14.

WITKOFF was one of a dozen officials in Trump’s Administration, which is active in the signal group called “HOURHI PC Small Group” was also included. Atlantic The editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who showed sensitive information about the US program to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen, Is Atlantic Gives: The US government has clearly stressed the use of signal in exchange for information exchange, Russian hacking attempts and security delays.

Eght Real Estate Lawyer-Turn Special EnvoyWITKOFF has Praise Putin As a “great” leader and met with the President of Russia to discuss Russia’s three-year war with Ukraine.

In Russia, Witkoff’s time is at the intersection of the group’s conversation with highly sensitive information. According to the flight, Witkoff arrived in Moscow on March 13 afternoon, CBS: Gives:A number He met with Putin until 1 morning. 30, according to the next day, Telegram Post: Putin’s former adviser Sergey Markov. Atlantic It is reported that CIA Director John Rapapf revealed the name of CIA’s active friend in the text of the text. On the 24th or Russia’s midnight.

According to a Copy of texts Is shared AtlanticWITKOFF did not attend the conversation until the attack, when he commented on the hands of both prayers Emoji and two American flags Emodi on texts on target targets.

Spokesman for the White House Caroline Levit said a Social Media Post: WITKOFF “provided a safe line of communication by the US government, and it was the only phone that he was in Moscow.” A Press briefing On Wednesday, Levit said that WITKOFF was released on himself either a “classified protected server” instead, and he was very careful with his communications. “

The White House did not answer FortuneAt the request of the comment, although the Spokesman of the National Security Council Brian Hughes told Atlantic The signal group “seems like a valid message chain” and reviews how Goldberg has been added to the chain.

The United States warns about Russia’s security threat

Despite the administration with the Kremlin, the Pentagon clearly visited Russia’s cyber security concerns, providing a memorandum on March 18, warning “vulnerability” in the appendix. Npr Gives:A number of memorandum was issued a few days after the US attacks and in a group conversation before the presence of Goldberg was published about a week ago.

“Russian professional anti-Armenian groups are working to spy on” connected devices “to spyware,” he said.

“Please note. Applications for third-party messages (eg a signal) are allowed for unresolved accountability / recall exercises in politics, but are not confirmed to develop or maintain non-public unresolved information.

The memorandum is a repetition of the previously established policy of the US government. In 2023, the Defense Department published a memoir Classifies “Unregistered” messages such as signal and WhatsApp, saying that “they are not eligible to access, transfer or develop non-public dod information.”

The group has also used a signal feature that will disappear from the messages a week later. Atlantic It is reported that some specialists say they have violated the public record laws. Former government security leader who wanted to remain anonymous, used to tell Fortune All officials of the group are legally required to maintain their communication records, and no official can decide whether their messages have made or have not applied to public record laws.

Security defects

Despite the Protection Department, as a vulnerable platform signal, real security risk does not come from the app, but from one phone, according to someone.

“The signal is one of the best programs that ends for final coding and communication,” said the computer science professor of the North-West University and his AI and security laboratory. FortuneA number of “but not phones.”

The Pentagon probably signaled a signal due to its popularity, said Subrrankmanyan, who could target a larger target for malware. When the program downloads, it can be benign, but then automatically updated with malware. Similarly, a personal phone’s malicious program can capture content on what is on the screen, even if they use an encrypted program. Instead, one way to mitigate the risks to provide the staff with a limited number of programs that have been thoroughly inspected.

Traveling with sensitive information on phone compounds safety risk. When someone travels, they risk the risk of placing malware on their device, connecting it to the exit. Although the cord can recharge the device, it can also convey data, Subrovman said.

“There is a well-known grade of the attack called” Juice Clog “, which can use that cord,” said Subrrankmanyan. “If it can wear data, it can also implement programs, including malware.”

Subradmanyan left the catastrophic consequences of leaking messages, but it was clear that the messaging program was not guilty of security slip.

“It’s not a failure of signal or signal technology,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then.”

This story was originally shown Fortune.com