WhatsApp hack warning – using this simple feature could let attackers steal your account
A recently discovered bug lets hackers crash your smartphone simply by video calling you
WHATSAPP users are at risk of having their accounts stolen if they answer anonymous video calls from hackers, according to new cyber-security research.
The security flaw affects the iPhone and Android versions of WhatsApp, although it can be avoided if users update to the latest version of the messaging app.
The bug was by Google security researcher Natalie Silvanovich, who first found and reported it to WhatsApp in August.
It lets hackers crash another user's smartphone simply by sending them a video call that's been corrupted by malicious files.
"Restart WhatsApp and call the target device and pick up the call," Silvanovich instructs hypothetical hackers in her . "The deivce [sic] will crash in a few seconds."
Thankfully, WhatsApp patched the flaw earlier this month in updates for Android and iPhone versions of its app, while its WhatsApp Web platform was never affected.
But users who haven't updated to the latest version of WhatsApp are still at risk, and there's a chance that the bug could be exploited to do more than just crash a victim's phone.
"This is a big deal," fellow Google researcher Tavis Ormandy on Twitter. "Just answering a call from an attacker could completely compromise WhatsApp."
Silvanovich herself didn't detail what else the flaw could be used to do, but on Twitter she did confirm that "."
And other people responding to her post - such as cybersecurity analyst - suggested that it could be used to achieve 'remote code execution,' which would let a hacker take control of an affected device.
This isn't the first WhatsApp-related security flaw to be disclosed in recent weeks.
Earlier this month, security experts at Sophos revealed a flaw that enabled hackers to gain control of WhatsApp accounts by accessing the victim's voicemail.
However, this voicemail hack affected other services that make use of phone number verification, so it wasn't exclusive to WhatsApp.
And users could avoid it by switching on two-factor authentication.
How to update to the latest version of WhatsApp
Normally, smartphone apps should update automatically, but here's how you can do it yourself to make sure you have the latest version.
For the iPhone, users should:
- Open the App Store
- Tap Updates (in the bottom-right corner of the screen)
- Find WhatsApp Messenger and then tap the UPDATE button that's on the right-hand side of it
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And for Android, users should do the following:
- Open the Google Play Store.
- Tap Menu and then My apps & games.
- Find WhatsApp and then tap Update.
If you don't see any 'Update' button for WhatsApp, this means you're already on the latest version.
Have you been affected by any bugs on WhatsApp? Let us know in the comments!
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