If you use WhatsApp, this is what you need to know about the bug that allows hackers to spy on you.
A recently discovered 0-day vulnerability in the world’s most popular messaging service, WhatsApp, has allowed hackers to spy on users, read their encrypted conversations, turn on the microphone and camera, and install spyware that enables greater Surveillance of the device, such as accessing the contact list, viewing their photos and videos … and what is even worse, to exploit the vulnerability, all the intruder has to do is call the victim through the app ( it works even if the recipient does not answer the call).
The messaging application admitted a vulnerability flaw that has precisely allowed hackers to install spyware on some devices, both Android and iOS, allowing access to sensitive data of the victims.
Security companies urge WhatsApp users to update the messaging app immediately after this security hole exploited by Israeli hackers.
“We believe that a select number of users were attacked through this vulnerability by an advanced cyber actor,” WhatsApp said of the attack, whose vulnerability is now fixed.
The spyware, Pegasus , developed by Israel’s secret NSO group, can be installed without a trace and without the target answering the call, according to security researchers and confirmed by WhatsApp.
The vulnerability exists in the following versions of WhatsApp:
-WhatsApp for Android prior to v2.19.134
-WhatsApp Business for Android prior to v2.19.44
-WhatsApp for iOS prior to v2.19.51
-WhatsApp Business for iOS prior to v2.19.51
-WhatsApp for Windows Phone before v2.18.348
-WhatsApp for Tizen before v2.18.15
The NSO says it sells Pegasus to governments and law enforcement agencies to help fight terrorism and crime. However, in 2016, the NSO spyware was implicated in an attack on the Emirati human rights activist named Ahmed Mansoor. In 2018, NSO’s spyware targeted prominent television journalist Carmen Aristegui and 11 others, while investigating a scandal involving the Mexican president. Researchers claim that NSO’s powerful spyware has been used by up to 45 countries to aid in the persecution of dissidents, journalists and other innocent civilians.
How can I know if my mobile has this spyware?
There is no foolproof method , but we can perform certain checks to see if we have been affected:
1. Check the data usage of each app. If there is an application that has spent many megabytes more than usual, it could be a red flag.
2. See if your device behaves strangely from that day
If the battery drains faster than normal or you notice your phone overheating frequently, it could be a sign that you have spyware on your phone.
3. Check all installed programs
Do you find any app that you don’t remember installing? Don’t delay and delete it.
4. Make frequent backups
As with our desktop, laptop or tablet, always try to back up all data. If something bad happens, you can restore your phone without danger of losing anything.
How to protect yourself from WhatsApp attacks
The best advice at this point is to make sure WhatsApp is always up to date. To do so, we just have to go to the Apple application store or Google Play Store, search for WhatsApp and press Update. If there is no “Update” button, but we do see the “Open” button, it means that we already have the latest version of WhatsApp, and the application is already patched against such attacks.
