Today, WhatsApp is the major messaging tool everyone uses to communicate with their loved ones. However, WhatsApp is not secure anymore. WhatsApp has a major vulnerability where it allows attackers to install Israel’s spyware into your phones.
This was first discovered at the beginning of May where attackers can install surveillance software into both iPhones and Android phones easily. The attacker will just have to make a WhatsApp voice call to your number and the spyware will be automatically installed into your phone. First of all, you have to know the term spyware before reading it further. Below is a video on what’s spyware all about.
Taking over mobile phones
According to the Financial Times, this spyware is developed by an Israeli company called NSO Group. According to them, they can transmit the spyware to the target phone even the person did not answer the phone call. Other than that, the call from the attacker also can disappear from the WhatsApp call logs.
According to NSO Groups, the spyware is design to take over mobile phones operating system. There reason they created this spyware is because they are working privately with the government.
According to the statement from WhatsApp spokesperson, WhatsApp encourages to users to update the latest version of its app. This is to avoid becoming victim of a spyware. NSO Groups also says they have official license to government to fight crime and terror. Additionally, NSO Groups also say it does not target any specific individuals or organizations.
The engineers of WhatsApp have fixed this vulnerability on last Sunday night and the updates have been added to the latest WhatsApp app.
In conclusion, WhatsApp believes this patch should be able to fix its vulnerability permanently. If you haven’t update your WhatsApp to its latest version. This is the right time to update it. Until now Facebook does not know how many phones are infected with this spyware.
