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:
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.
Doesn’t even guarantee physical location, only the location of their VPN endpoint.
Many VPN providers actually leak DNS, so it might be quite practical even when VPN is on.
Do any of the good VPN providers leak DNS? Most VPNs claim to allow evading geolocation, if they leaked DNS that wouldnt be true?
Mullvad takes DNS seriously
it may not be a big deal for an average person but for a journalist or a political figure, it can cause big problems
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.
If you can install another app on their phone already, then this really doesn’t matter.