Table of contents:
- There is no public figure on the number of people affected
- Who was behind this attack?
- What should I do as a user to protect myself?
One cannot be calm even for a minute. Not even with WhatsApp, which is our daily bread. Today we learned that the popular messaging application (owned by Facebook, by the way) had to fix a vulnerability that allowed malicious hackers to install spyware on phones without even touching them. The move was carried out remotely, so that many phones and users could be exposed.
What they would have achieved with this software is putting the security of millions of users in jeopardy, since with this spyware they could have access information and data stored on devices.
The WhatsApp company has acknowledged in a statement, just after the news leaked, that the vulnerability has occurred. Through this document, it requests that users – everyone in the world – update their application to the new version, which already contains the fix for this vulnerability And therefore, it would keep all those who have trusted WhatsApp safe.
In turn, recommend users to update their operating system to the latest version available, in order to patch as much as possible computer and avoid possible attacks by cybercriminals.
There is no public figure on the number of people affected
The truth is that WhatsApp has recognized the problem, but has not reported the number of users who would be affected by the mime. He has pointed out, yes, the importance that the 1,500 million users that it has in the world update the application as soon as possible, in order to have the security patch needed to stay safe.
This makes us think of the obvious fact that all users would have been exposed, although it is believed that the number of those affected ( to those who actually stole data) would be quite limited in number.
What is known about this vulnerability, at least what has been made public, is that cybercriminals would have taken advantage of a bug in the call function of application audio, so that the caller could install spyware on the device that is receiving the call, whether or not the call was answered.
The call in question could even disappear from the call history. In this way, users – whether they were experts or not – would have a much more difficult time detecting a strange incursion.
Who was behind this attack?
About the origin of this attack there is nothing clear for sure. It is known, of course, that spyware would be very similar to a technology developed by the Israeli cybersecurity company NSO Group This has made WhatsApp directly suspicious of this company as responsible for the introduction of this malicious software.
Part of those affected, as WhatsApp has explained, are organizations that fight for human rights. This reinforces the thesis that NSO Group is behind the attack, since for many years this company has been in charge of designing software to spy on this type of entity, at the express request of governments around the world.
What should I do as a user to protect myself?
As WhatsApp has explained, users who have this application installed on their phones, whether they access it from an iOS or Android phone , they will need to be updated to the latest version. All they need to do is head to the app store to see if they already have a data pack available to install. If so, just start it up.
In turn, it is recommended to install any security patch suggested by the manufacturer of the phone or responsible for the operating system. It is the best way to be fully protected.
