TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The LINE accounts of over 100 Taiwanese political figures have been hacked, potentially posing national security risks.

The Liberty Times revealed Wednesday (July 28) that government officials and public figures across the political spectrum have been hacking victims on the widely used messaging app. They include high-level Cabinet officials, military personnel, and city leaders.

The breach was detected last week by LINE Taiwan, which discovered that some users’ private messages had been accessed. The app’s default end-to-end encryption feature, or “Letter Sealing,” on victims' devices was found to have been turned off without their knowledge.

National security officials have launched an investigation. The fact that the targeted individuals do not appear to have been selected at random has sparked fears of an organized attack, according to the report.

Pegasus, a spyware developed by Israel-based NSO Group, is suspected of being used by the perpetrators. The surveillance software is capable of exploiting both the iOS and Android operating systems, with reports earlier this month suggesting more than 1,000 people from 50 countries have been among those targeted, including several heads of state.