According to a report from the Financial Times, the WhatsApp exploit was designed by the Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group.
WhatsApp has confirmed a vulnerability that could have allowed hackers to remotely install spyware on your phone. The messaging app has fixed the loophole and has requested users to install the latest update to avoid the WhatsApp exploit.
This WhatsApp exploit was first highlighted by the Financial Times, and the Facebook-owned company was quick to fix the issue. Further, the Facebook-owned company said it made changes to its infrastructure last week to fix the loophole.
“WhatsApp encourages people to upgrade to the latest version of our app, as well as keep their mobile operating system up to date, to protect against potential targeted exploits designed to compromise information stored on mobile devices,” the messaging app said in a statement.
WhatsApp rolled out the server-side fix on May 10, while the updated version of the app was released on May 13. It is not known how many Android and iOS devices were affected by the WhatsApp exploit. The messaging app, however, says that it fixed the loophole in less than ten days after discovering the flaw.
Reports say all that a hacker needs to do to install the spyware remotely is to call the user. The malware would install even if the recipient doesn’t answer the call. Moreover, the call would automatically disappear from the logs.
Citizen Lab, an internet watchdog, referred to the exploit as “a very scary vulnerability.
