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A dark web store is advertising that it has access to Telegram servers.
For the non-negotiable price of US$20,000, the store promises “an archive of correspondence for six months”.
“Accessing Telegram servers. I have access to the Telegram servers through my employees. I can get any information for you!” the ad reads. The site in question is a typical dark web marketplace, offering a host of illicit services, from drugs to cracked software and more.
Like many such marketplaces, it even offers escrow services — users don’t need to release funds until they are satisfied with their purchases, and can raise disputes if they have an issue.
The Telegram server access also provides IP addresses and phone numbers associated with accounts. No remote access is offered and the seller maintains this is not a hack, but simply someone within the company providing backdoor access.
“It is impossible to say how many users, or Telegram servers, may be impacted,” said security team SafetyDetectives, who first noted the sale item. “However, if the vendor’s claims are valid, an insider in the internal Telegram network would be able to exfiltrate logs and compromise user data.”
“A potential breach of this manner would also undermine the company’s privacy USP (i.e. Telegram’s reputation as a secure messaging app).”
The team admits that the veracity of the offer is difficult to ascertain, and no reviews are yet available for the service on the marketplace it is being sold on.
It’s a rough time for the secure messaging service. The number of malicious Telegram bots, tied to a range of phishing scams, have risen 800 per cent since 2021, according to email security firm CoDefence.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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