A few simple steps to make your messaging app safer
The flaw that hit this week Whatsapp, and which forced the Facebook-owned company to urgently release a security update, was not a common system vulnerability but a real 'hole' in security of the popular messaging app. This bug potentially allowed hackers to remotely exploit a flaw in the app's audio calling system to access sensitive user information, including address book, call log and GPS location, all via a simple audio call that didn't even require an answer.
According to security researchers it spyware who exploited this flaw - called Pegasus and developed by the Israeli company NSO Group - created problems with the versions 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 prior to v2.18.348 and WhatsApp for Tizen prior to v2.18.15.
To discover if your Whatsapp account has been hit from an attack by the Pegasus spyware, check the incoming audio call list of the app itself, although this check may not be decisive. Spyware, in fact, in many cases has also managed to delete the call log, literally hiding the traces of the hacker attack. However, if you remember having received some strange unanswered call on Whatsapp, update the app immediately.
