it had conducted a successful supply chain attack on the app.

Australia's Federal Police (AFP) yesterday arrested and charged a man with creating and administering an app named Ghost that was allegedly "a dedicated encrypted communication platform … built solely for the criminal underworld" and which enabled crims to arrange acts of violence, launder money, and traffic illicit drugs.

Ghost was created around nine years ago and sold with a modified smartphone for around AU$2350 ($1,600), which included a six-month subscription to an encrypted network and tech support. The AFP alleges 376 active handsets operated in Australia.

Earlier this year the AFP warned it had already infiltrated Ghost, and yesterday revealed it had conducted a successful supply chain attack on the app.

"The administrator regularly pushed out software updates, just like the ones needed for normal mobile phones. But the AFP was able to modify those updates, which basically infected the devices, enabling the AFP to access the content ...