iPhone? Android? 2014 Fire Phone? Buried the lede.
2
Bezos need not have opened the file attachment or even answered a call from MBS to have his phone hacked. According to Wikipedia "A Wired report noted the attack was able to inject malware via calls to the targeted phone, even if the user did not answer the call."
So, basically, if MBS had your WhatsApp account information, you can assume your phone was hacked.
MBS had plenty of reasons to try to silence Bezos ... he had butchered a Washington Post journalist and Post was following up on that, and Trump also hated Bezos for similar reasons.
This is another foreign government interfering in our press. Could we expect some sanctions against Kushner's buddy?
5
And, we are all supposed to "like" Saudi Arabia ? Not.
10
Whatsapp has been compromised
by the spy software from Israeli company.Indian government used the spy software from that company to spy
on opponents of Mr. Modi, the prime
minister. This story is believable.
Saudi Arabia, a paranoid MBS,
has surely bought the software from
Israel.
5
“Recent media reports that suggest the Kingdom is behind a hacking of Mr. Jeff Bezos’ phone are absurd,” the Saudi Embassy said on Twitter.
Absurd. Hmm ... isn't that exactly how Putin characterized the notion that two Russians posing as plumbers were caught trying to spy on Davos conference attendees?
5
In 2018 as the Washington Post investigated the suspected involvement of Prince bin Salman in the murder of Khashoggi, what other world leaders were really, really angry about the Post investigating them and blaming Bezos?
I can think of one leader in particular who would have been delighted to see Bezos publicly shamed by revealing the intimate contents of of his phone. Curiously, that same leader had been done favors during a campaign by that same National Enquirer, which pulled one or more 'catch and kill' on stories that would have embarrassed that leader. And that leader is bin Salman's pal.
Coincidence???
7
Coincidence? I think not - agreed.
2
Out of the box upon becoming president, Trump weighed in with the Stalinist phrase that the press is "the enemy of the people". Next, he sent son-in-law Gerald Kushner to Saudi Arabia to pay homage.
What happened to Bezos could, and likely has, happened to others, courtesy of the ruthless pals Trump has made around the world.
4
Might be a bigger story here. As Trump is tried in the Senate for his effort to cheat in the 2020 election, a lot of people are still wondering if or how he cheated in the 2016 election. Cell phone hacking might explain it.
NSO and a cluster of related companies create cell phone hacking software. Their sales are restricted to governments. They were a client of Michael Flynn’s firm.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/michael-flynn-nso-group-spyware_n_59468386e4b06bb7d273c398
Cell phone hacking, as a pursuit, is not limited to personal cell phones. McClatchy has speculated that vote counting machines fitted with cell phone modems are vulnerable to hacking. The machines scan paper ballots, accumulate totals, and report the results via the cell phone network to a downtown computer.
https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/policy/technology/article219508945.html
At a polling station, a hack of vote scanning machine reports could be accomplished from outside the building, from a car parked on the street.
It would thus require multiple cars parked outside selected (probably big, probably downtown) voting stations in a few battleground states to reset an election tally in favor of one candidate or the other.
No one needs to impersonate a voting official to gain access to the polls, nor attempt to surreptitiously swap thumb drives or hard drives. After the polls close, the parked cars simply drive away.
5
Maybe a theocratic, autocratic kingdom that profits entirely from the burning of oil and attacked the US on 9/11 isn't our friend.
8
Boohoo for Bezos. Can he pay taxes now? Looks like the taxpayers have been helping out with his phone security problem. Or is owning the Washington Post a substitute for paying taxes?
5
I find it pretty hard to believe that buddies MBS and Jared Kushner haven't shared a few gripe sessions about the Washington Post. The only question is, how detailed did those sessions get?
3
That's it for What's App. Bring on the next supposedly 'secure' messaging app.
6
When I worked for the US intelligence community, WhatsApp was regarded by colleagues who knew about such matters as a wholly owned subsidiary of at least one hostile intelligence service. Curiously, WhatsApp is the communication medium of choice for many in the Foreign Service.
I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.
15
@David H WhatsApp was bought by Facebook in 2014. Therefore Facebook is a "hostile intelligence service"!
That explains a lot actually.
4
@Zabadoh
Is that your analysis of the problem? Facebook?
1
To those commenting that WhatsApp is the danger, you are mistaken. The message could have been sent via regular text messaging or an email or on a webpage. The vulnerability is the Apple IOS and Android operating systems. The video had malicious spyware code embedded in it. WhatsApp is as safe as any other software. On the other hand TikTok has been shown to be a dangerous application that allows intrusive searches and eavesdropping.
4
completely wrong, WhatsApp is one of the most insecure messaging platforms out there and has been for quite some time. Would never use it.
14
If it were the Iranians, sanctions would already be underway.
We (both EU and US) need to stop giving Saudi Arabia a free pass because they buy our weapons and supply oil. The list of their negative influence is endless, with the radicalization of Sunni Islam around the world through State sponsored Salafism as a continuing root of evil.
25
We can laugh at Mr Bezo’s stupidity but the bad foreign governments ( who murder journalists) are the ones Trump has teamed up with to destroy our institutions and take over our country. Laugh now but if he gets relected We will all be crying.
18
Too bad America no longer supports freedom of the press. A patriotic Congress and President would sanction Saudi Arabia.
15
Like it or not, Saudi Arabia is a very important US ally, and our relations go back several decades. I suspect there is more to the story than meets the eye, but I seen a relationship to the folly described herein and the freedom of the press that you speak about.
2
Does anyone else here think that Russian intelligence did it to start drama between the US and Saudi Arabia?
6
I don’t, but even if it was some sort of orchestrated attempt by the Russians to harm the relationship, they chose a private entrepreneur, who is presumably fair game.
2
Aren't the Kushners pals of MBS? What's the likelihood he has hacked their phones? And is blackmailing them with the dirt he has on them? (Not to mention the extended family.)
20
@ACT.MA Are you suggesting there is honor among thieves? Sorry. These guys don't play by the rules, they MAKE the rules. See?
1
This story is as important than the impeachment. I would make a bigger deal out of this.
4
And are chocolate chip cookies better than salad because they taste better? (yesh, good ones kick the snot out of lettuce)
Is it an IPhone? I've never trusted WhatsApp .
3
"the Saudi Embassy said on Twitter. “We call for an investigation on these claims so that we can have all the facts out" if only there was a journalist to do this whom you hadn't executed!
21
Bezos looks more and more like Dr. Evil at Studio 54 and his girlfriend appears to be built from spare parts at NASA.
33
@AJ - Something is wrong with his left eye.
3
At TRUMP's request?
18
@angelique Maybe with implicit consent.
1
MBS, Trump and Bezos. We get three Bond villains in the same movie!!
23
Isn't our President, who despises Jeff Bezos, an admirer of MBS and hasn't he engaged foreigners in dirt gathering on his political enemies before?
38
A “admirer“ of MBS? We have a geostrategic relationship with Saudi Arabia the transcends administrations. And in this particular case, one can only wonder why Mr. Bezos allowed himself to be manipulated in such a way. 
Jeff, Jeff, MBS here. You have GOT to see this video.. If you thought double rainbow was great this is like quadruple rainbow, bro.
17
How many state secrets have Trump and his family given away? We'll never know but I am guessing it's approaching the tally of the number of lies he's told since he's become president - tens of thousands.
27
@AJ AJ, come on, get serious. The president of the US and his main advisor Kushner would NEVER give away our secrets. They'd sell them.
41
Certainly far few secrets than the mail server in Hillary’s basement.
5
@AJ Let him who committed less sin cast the first stone..
Did Jared know?
8
My kingdom for a reporter... a phone...
From the folks that brought us the oil embargo, 9/11 and the butcher of a WAPO journalist. Why are we surprised at anything they do?
25
All the evil regimes around the world are equipped with NSO software to spy on everyone. Why we consider these barbarians our allies is a mystery.
12
If you pulled her hair back that Sanchez woman is kind of bizarre looking. Perfect match for beezo. McKenzie was far too classy and cool.
13
@Becca Hel
Exactly.
And Mrs. MacKensie was/is quite smart, too.
2
Bezos knew quickly it was the MBS/Saudis. The only facts left for discovery are Trump’s directives to MBS.
22
Yeah but I bet my birth certificate that Trump's phone is hacked too.
3
And now you know why Saudi Arabia was never put on Trump's list of banned Muslim countries.
35
The article fails to answer the most presdung question : what type of phone was hacked?
7
@Tickled & Wildly Curious
Amazon Fire Phone
4
Anyone want to bet MBS was asked by Trump to meddle with Bezos?
27
The Saudi’s Nat enquirer .... = trump made this happen
how sick is that
How did Jeff not have several burner phones? He had one phone and used it for his personal and business dealings? That is the real shocker.
14
God, CEO types are still stupider than their grandkids when it comes to tech. NEVER open files like this when they show up in your inbox. Especially when they come from Mr. Bone Saw!
48
who loves the saudi's money?..oh, the president and his sneaky son in law....who hates the president? oh, the washington post owned by bezos.. does this bode ill for election hacking by foreign entities who are emboldened by our wannabe king?
35
Why is it that, as I recall,17 of the 19 hijackers who attacked us were Saudi Arabians? Trump hugs MBS and both Bush and Obama obfuscated the behavior.
7
If it is that easy to gain access to all the contents of a phone, perhaps the FBI could use this WhatsApp scheme to access the deceased Saudi mass shooter at the Florida airbase?
9
This article's layout on the website is pretty small. Contrast that with the story of Karl Lagerfeld's cat, and I guess that gives us a good idea of what the Times considers important news.
8
This was prominently featured ok n my digital display. I think what's served on a subscriber's display is based on his/her viewing habits, at least to some degree.
3
@Nancy I think that's the most important part for them.
@Nancy
I don't think so. I don't read the style section, essentially because I consider it, and "style" in general, responsible for women feeling like they need to have plastic surgery, like Mr. Bezos' girlfriend pictured here obviously has done.
1
Huge mistake by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Of course he gets all his ‘stuff’ from the Israelis.
Now it’s ‘game-on’ amongst world leaders. The chance to communicate freely and openly has now disappeared.
For one, I, personally am not too concerning about Jeff Bezos as he has enough resources to take care of himself. But open exchange amongst world leaders is gone. Any chance to communicate informally is gone.
I’m not sure about you, but fair exchange among leaders is the first step towards peace, lessening of hostilities and understanding.
So much for that. I hope the video was good.
9
iOS or Android?
2
@NYTimes: Please add the information what brand and model of mobile phone (with the version of the OS) Mr. Bezos was using at the time. Thanks!
11
Dig deep enough and you will find the paw prints of Trump and his “genius” son-in-law, Jared, all over this.
If the legitimate US authorities don’t handle this well enough, I hope Bezos takes matters into his own capable hands and takes retribution on the Trump Crime Family.
72
Facebook and the developer of whatever OS Bezos is running need to provide guidance to users on how viewing a video from WhatsApp can lead to such a massive security breakdown. Every phone in America is at risk here. Absent an answer, shouldn’t users immediately stop using WhatsApp?
13
@Norwester
Not Jared Kush...he conduct$ all our taxpayer funded biz on whatsapp.
6
The take-away lesson continues to be for me : never, ever open mail that seems in any way odd. If something is that urgent, call me! And there is no iCloud on any of my personal tech. I do have control over that and everything is backed up on all my devices with an external drive. I have no control over the use of iCloud with my employer or doctors, etc. but I do have control over my own data. It is easier to use the external drive than to be hacked and spending hours upon hours getting data back and protecting it from another hack.
6
Too bad we didn’t catch the phone call between Trump and MBS. But digging up dirt on a billionaire isn’t as impeachable as trying to smear a political opponent. It should be, though.
10
The Saudis probably have every shred of data on Trump’s phone, as well as the phone of every Senator.
13
My mom is always reminding me never to open attachments.
23
Khashoggi was a cover up. 19 pilots from Saudi Arabia that brought down the twin towers were immediately not from SA but Iraq. SA has a lot of dirt on us. We've been taking their money or like the president says. The Saudis pay cash. Follow the money all the way to buying condo's for the presidents kids. 1 Billion dollars goes a long long way... Same as it ever was.
12
I would hope the State Department, assuming this sort of offence is their purview, would come down on Saudi Arabia. I doubt it will come from the Whitehouse. Nonetheless, Bezo's owns a respected and influential paper and is part of the 5th Estate, something that is vital to democracy. Hacking his phone is a threat to our press from a country who murdered a journalist freelancing at that very same paper. It is serious and demands a serious response from the US government.
20
Trump, Pecker and MBS are all in on this. Guess who stopped tweeting about Bezos and the WaPo as soon as this story exploded one year ago. Trump. He’s obsessed with Bezos, his wealth and success. He raged in private then went public for years then went dark when this all came out. Jeff isn’t done with him yet. He is so patient.
20
Trump using foreign powers to slime his opponents continues... Moscow Mitch fiddles.
22
To Sarah Newport23m ago
Times Pick
Once again, Saudi Arabia and MBS show they are bad actors, untrustworthy from start to finish.
Seems a bit of a sweeping generalization. The Obama administration hacked Angela Merkel's private phone
Does this make Mr. Obama a bad actor, untrustworthy from start to finish ?
@Carla Wahabism, 9/11, al queda, Taliban, sunni jihadists in Fallujah, ISIS, Khossogi, Pensacola. Yup. Nothing to see here...
8
Bone sawing, hacking ... what’s next from our SA “friends”? I suppose perhaps the Secret Service is collecting a few cell phones (or already has) from Trump Crime Family members, but it probably won’t do much good. They’ll just get hacked over and over again as they do “business” with Mister Bone Saws.
4
Israeli hackers, MBS, Jeff Bezos, the Pentagon,blackmail, beautiful women,money.
It would be too fantastic to put in a spy novel.
But it's realty.
3
There is something about all of this that is completely asinine.
5
Hmmm.... Doesn’t the Crown Prince also use WhatsApp to communicate with Jared Kushner? I wonder if Jared received any videos?
17
@Betty Boop
That was my first thought exactly!
2
@Betty Boop Jared's phone doesn't really contain any valuable information. Daddy-in-law gave him 'peace in the Middle East' as a toy to play with as a favor to the only woman he has ever loved, Ivanka.
The trial of The United States Presidente, would be impacted with this, because external interference is on the place again.
1
Mr Bezos,
Please remember this when you make high level privacy and information security decisions on Amazon’s products and software. We are just beginning to understand the implications and how much is really at stake.
9
There's evidence that this all ties back to the Trump administration--coordination between them and the Saudis. I'm surprised this angle wasn't really covered here, although it was in the Washington Post. This is likely a major scandal (if that word is strong enough), and likely in the realm of an impeachable offense. Let's not let our personal opinions of Bezos distract from the fact that the Trump administration most likely coordinated with a foreign country to target an American citizen.
31
Hey Zuckerberg - Why is it possible for *anything* attached to a WhatsApp message to escalate privilege to the point where it can own the phone?
Is it really just poor design by programmer bros, or could it be that its not really designed to be private as claimed?
18
Why was Bezos at a dinner with MBS? I realize the dinner predated the killing of Khashoggi by 6 months, but we already know what MBS did to ascend to power prior to the killing of that journalist. What was the purpose of the dinner and why would Bezos be meeting with someone already accused of murdering and imprisoning people? Bezos’s hubris is astonishing. Just absolutely in over his head and clowning himself out there on the international stage.
12
@Seattle, MBS and some of the other relatives of the royal Saudi family have invested in and own/control sizable percentages of tech start ups. We Work , Uber are just two that come to mind.
3
Reading and reading and still not knowing what kind of phone he uses
Is it an Iphone ?
The one the FBI claims it can not hack ???
4
Phishing is different than hacking.
5
But that’s Trump’s buddy! Why would he attack the guy who owns the Washington Post?!!
64
This almost has to be a favor to Trump / Kushner, A quid pro quo for the USA ignoring the murder of Khashoggi, and supporting the cover up.
As our legislators reject even the pursuit of facts in the impeachment trial, it appears that we citizens will have to take to the streets to stop the corruption of the Trump team.
This November we must vote out, and retire from public office every Senator that voted against witness testimony and documents.
97
not just protest
6
What is interesting about this to me is that there are at least two venues where people of all classes interact without regard to their status.
Roadways and phones.
In these two locales, we are all susceptible to the actions and aggressions of other parties.
20
Mr. Bezos would not be paranoid to ask if the hacking and blackmailing attempts were done with the assistance or insistence of the American government.
32
That’s what happens when you deal with unsavory people. He’s lucky his phone is the only thing that got hacked.
24
The fact that American Media published a glossy PR “magazine” honoring and highlighting MBS as a progressive during his US visit strikes me as an interesting coincidence. It’s almost like American Media is in the business of doing dirty work for elected idiots and their dictator pals.
106
Almost?
10
Note to self: Don't share cell phone number with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
79
I blame Jared's buddy, MBS, for
funding and spreading some very
evil stuff. NOT an ALLY
43
This reeks of the secret world order of rich despots that Donald wishes to rule over our lives.
33
@John Correction: Vladimir. Donald is a loser debtor.
8
Guess they're doing a favor for Trump. He hates Bezo's Washington Post, so he's importuning yet another foreign country to help him out.
44
What should be the headline is how bad the crown prince is at memes. What low effort images. Disgraceful.
3
Did Trump and/or Jared ask the prince to do as a “favor”?
35
"You might also like...
- Malware detection
- E-mail screening
- Common sense"
But seriously, if this doesn't show that no one is safe I don't know what does.
23
Let me guess, it was a Fire Phone?
3
From the Wikipedia article on WhatsApp:
"In May 2019, WhatsApp was attacked by hackers who installed spyware on a number of victims' smartphones.[102] The hack, allegedly developed by Israeli surveillance technology firm NSO Group, injected malware onto WhatsApp users’ phones via a remote-exploit bug in the app's Voice over IP calling functions. A Wired report noted the attack was able to inject malware via calls to the targeted phone, even if the user did not answer the call..."
It's apparent that this app has been compromised and is dangerous - especially to people with really big egos who think they are above it all with their money.
Also remember the fond relationship between POTUS and MBS - Bezos seemed to have forgotten they both have animosity toward him.
16
If Bezos can’t even protect his own privacy, makes me even more glad that Microsoft won the Pentagon’s JEDI defense cloud contract over Amazon. Makes me more concerned about Amazon Web Services’ CIA contract, though, if they can’t keep their own leader safe from a serious breach.
8
@Eirroc - yeah, because Microsoft knows how to protect your privacy.
13
Isn't this hacking a crime? If it is so apparent to investigators that MBS did this, why aren't charges being brought?
Hugh
11
@Hugh Massengill
Its the Trump era. Law books already being rewritten. The new litmus test of crime is whether it is considered ‘fair’ or ‘unfair’ by one very stable genius.
Makes the whole legal thing less complicated
7
Gives us pause knowing the relationships between the president and his son-in-law with the Saudis. Wonder what their phone number exchanges have provided. The difference being ,sadly, they are not smart enough to figure that out.
9
The Saudi government has been denying involvement in so many incidents, from 9/11, to killing a journalists, to this to that...
Yet there is always a trail leading back to the kingdom in various ways.
26
Remember more than half of the 911 terrorists were Saudis.
3
Don’t get it. Just upgrade to the latest Amazon Fire phone and did yourself of spyware.
3
Once again, Saudi Arabia and MBS show they are bad actors, untrustworthy from start to finish. The US should take a stand, but won’t because Jared Kushner thinks he and MBS are besties. Imagine what kind of intel they must have acquired from Kushner without his knowledge? Trump is spineless when it comes to standing up to Saudi Arabia.
266
“Standing up to the Saudis”?? You jest. Trump admires MBS’ authority, especially his authority to have reporters murdered.
62
Why would Bezos carry a cell phone on which "large volumes of data" would be stored? Does he think that just because he is Bezos, he is immune from outside predatory hacking?
80
@Cottonball
Little packets of data sent a million times, makes for a large volume of data transmitted.
7
@Cottonball
Should it matter how much data is carried on his phone? It could be that the data is not on his phone but on cloud storage easily accessed by his phone. After all, he is the CEO of Amazon. I get that you have no sympathy for Bezos. Truth be told, neither do I, But what does the amount of data on HIS phone matter? It’s his phone; his PRIVATE phone and he was hacked by the Saudi’s. Just because he is disgustingly rich doesn’t make him any less a victim of unauthorized hacking here. This could happen to you to. The only difference is that he has the money to track it down and fight back. I don’t and I’m guessing you probably don’t either.
46
@John He acted heedlessly in giving his real phone number to the man who had been accused of having ordered the killing of his Washington Post reporter.
I'm no strategic genius, but I wouldn't give my main personal number to someone like that.
Also, I'm no newshound but even then I'd heard enough about What'sApp to avoid it. Not to mention Facebook, Twitter et al.
Why would anyone trust the Saudis, especially the Salmon. And trump of course loves the guy.
Maybe Bezos has finally figured out what most of us have known for decades.
10
That poor Saudi prince!
All those evil things happening around him that he apparently isn't even informed about.
He needs to get a tighter grip on his kingdom.
68
Ha-bloody-ha. No cyber security training at Amazon?
10
This sounds too insane to be believed. Could someone have spoofed MSB's phone, or does he just think he's that untouchable? And the fact that Nat Enq published it? Hmmmm. Who do we know that used that rag as their personal PR machine?
21
Bezos has become the template for the perfect super-villain.
6
Not sure how Bezos is the villain in this story.
19
Whatever you think of Bezos, he’s done us all a favor by keeping the WaPo alive and functioning. He can’t be entirely evil.
50
Digging up dirt on your enemies doesn’t seem to be a signature Saudi move; their enemies meet a more dramatic end.
But I’m sure our Justice Department is on top of this, and will get to the bottom, find out who’s responsible.
11
Yes indeed, it has all the markings of a “Do me A Favor” trump.
3
Why on earth does the richest man in the world have an WhatsApp account? He can afford the cost of privacy if he wants it.That being said, the Saudis have zero credibility when it comes to the murder of the Washington Post writer,Khashoggi.They are a repressive regime and make journalists disappear -they are a threat to free speech!
47
I’ve always believed there’s no such thing as a free lunch with these apps - WhatsApp, viber- or anything out there for free international calls. There’s always a quid pro quo. These big time celebrities and power people should know better.
The yahoos on Trump's team use What's Ap all the time, including Kushner who is friends with MBS. Super secure, right?
126
Putin high-fiving MSB at a world economic meeting was probably about killing a Washington Post journalist.
28
Great. Bezos can't keep his phone secure and major corporations are migrating all their data to his Amazon Cloud service.
152
The Saudis, our beloved allies. Can someone explain that to me, please?
130
Okay, sure.
Oil, politics and Trump.
24
Easy: $$$.
17
That more than half of the 911 highjackers were Saudis means nothing?
7
Bezos has demonstrated remarkably poor judgment for a while now. This is just the latest evidence of it--casually exchanging numbers with a representative of an oppressive government and then clicking on a video or link sent by that casual acquaintance [my grandma knows better than to do that!]. Couple that with his personal life in which he reportedly cheated on his wife of many years with a woman who clearly relishes the limelight, reportedly sends dirty pics via text and dresses like he should be in the cast of Real Housewives of New Jersey. He seems to be having a big old midlife crisis.
107
@Marie I think the record for Trump's poor judgment has been amply established by pretty much the entire free press.
13
@Sandy Money can't buy you good taste.
1
One thing, Bezos has really bad taste. Looks like billions can’t buy it away.
53
The lesson here is, Never open a video message from MBS. If he asks, just say you never got it.
114
@Ahmed I think the lesson here is never talk to MBS or any other Saudi connected to the Royal family or government. Never give them your number, never take theirs, don’t let them touch your phone and never let them into your home or office.
11