Instant messaging app WhatsApp has been hit with a security breach, which leaves users vulnerable to malicious spyware being installed on their phones.
The company said it discovered the breach this month and informed the US Department of Justice last week, as well as its lead regulator in the EU, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission.
A Facebook spokesperson urged users to upgrade to the latest version of the app and keep their operating system up to date, as a way to protect against threats designed to compromise information stored on mobile devices.
The initial attack was aimed at UK-based lawyers
As reported by The Guardian, the Pegasus software was used to spy on a UK-based lawyer in an attempt to “find out details of his human rights work”. Nick Hopkins from The Guardian explains:
“The lawyer is involved in a civil case brought against the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group whose sophisticated Pegasus malware has reportedly been used against Mexican journalists, and a prominent Saudi dissident living in Canada.”
Nick Hopkins
In addition, the lawyer contacted Citizen Lab, who could confirm that there was an attempt to target his phone using Pegasus. Governments like Saudi Arabia, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates use the Pegasus software.
How does the attack affect ordinary users?
The vulnerability affected users of WhatsApp on all platforms, meaning you need to update your app immediately if you are still using an older version of WhatsApp.
This attack also opened the door for groups of hackers to exploit the vulnerability and install spyware on users’ phones. While most spyware requires some action on the user’s part, this new vulnerability did not.
The hackers only had to place a call to a phone with WhatsApp installed. In essence, the phone’s user didn’t even have to answer or reject the call.
How to update your WhatsApp
On Android:
- Open the Play Store and tap on the three lines in the top left corner
- Go to ‘My Apps & Games’
- Select ‘WhatsApp’ and tap ‘Update.’
On iPhone:
- Open the App Store and select updates
- Select ‘WhatsApp’ and click ‘Update.’
So, next time the App Store or Play Store reminds you of an update, don’t ignore it. Apps are updated regularly to repair bugs or flaws. In essence, keeping an app updated will provide an extra layer of security against these attacks.
Edited Source: The South African
