Berlin: The private data of top security advisers to former US President Donald Trump has been found accessible online, according to a report by German news magazine Der Spiegel. The revelation adds to a series of security concerns surrounding Trump’s administration.

The report states that the mobile phone numbers, email addresses, and, in some cases, passwords of National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth are available through commercial data-search services and leaked hacked data online.

Some of the contact details were reportedly linked to accounts on social media platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn, as well as cloud-storage services like Dropbox. Additionally, the report states that the phone numbers of Gabbard and Waltz were connected to messaging services such as WhatsApp and Signal.

Risk of espionage and spyware

According to Der Spiegel, the exposed data left the officials vulnerable to potential cyber threats, including the risk of spyware being installed on their devices. The report also suggested that foreign agents may have been able to monitor sensitive discussions, particularly a recent Signal group chat regarding top-secret US plans for air strikes on Yemen's Huthi rebels on 15 March.

Waltz inadvertently included journalist Jeffrey Goldberg from The Atlantic magazine in the conversation. Details of the discussion were later published by The Atlantic on Wednesday.

Officials yet to respond

Der Spiegel reported that the three officials had not responded to its requests for comments regarding the data breach.

Meanwhile, the US National Security Council has stated that the referenced Waltz accounts and passwords mentioned in the report had already been changed in 2019.