• The app used by Mike Waltz was hacked, raising security concerns.
• Smarsh, the app's parent company, is temporarily suspending services.
• The hacker intercepted messages but did not access Waltz's communications.
• The incident follows a controversy over Waltz's creation of a Signal group chat.
• Signal warns against unofficial versions of its platform.

The unofficial version of Signal, known as TeleMessage, which was used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, has reportedly been hacked, raising serious concerns over the security of communications among high-ranking government officials. The hacker exploited a vulnerability in the app's backend infrastructure, according to reports from Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The hacker involved claimed to have intercepted some user messages and shared supporting material with tech site 404 Media, which was able to independently verify some of this information. Despite the breach, it was clarified that no messages from Waltz or other Trump cabinet officials were intercepted, according to India Times and Reuters.

In the wake of the hacking incident, Smarsh, the company behind TeleMessage, announced it would temporarily suspend all services while it investigates the security breach. This precautionary measure is being taken "out of an abundance of caution," as stated in an email from the company, which has been reported by Channel News Asia and Channel News Asia.

These developments have intensified scrutiny on the security of communication tools used by government officials, particularly given Waltz's ousting that followed a scandal involving his use of the application to manage sensitive military updates. Notably, a spokesperson for Signal has previously indicated that "unofficial versions of Signal" do not guarantee the same privacy and security features, highlighting the risks of using applications like TeleMessage, as reported by Reuters and India Times.