WhatsApp, the encrypted messaging app has 1.5 billion users across the world. The app has always tried to take the necessary precautions to provide a secure environment for users. But there was a small glitch in the app which made it a potential threat for mobile phones. The company discovered the vulnerability and launched a patch in May. An Israel based spy firm named NSO group developed this WhatsApp exploit which injected malware into the targeted phones.
Hackers can Attack the Mobile with Just a Phone Call
A call is enough to get into a phone. The hackers will call a particular mobile number and even though the user didn’t pick the call, his/her mobile is attacked. They can steal the entire data present in phone with ease.
This is a common case in software development. The mobile apps having small bugs which attackers find before the company releases a patch for it is a repeated process. But having a vulnerability which gives hackers an option to attack the phone with just a call is something that requires immediate attention.
Although WhatsApp hasn’t said anything more about the bug, they have given a confirmation that their developers are building infrastructure. The company is planning to use this infrastructure to stop any kind of phone call bugs.
Any application is prone to remotely exploitable bugs. The VoIP connection should be simple so that the establishment of the connection is done soon. As the data parsing becomes more complex, it becomes easy to exploit a particular phone. WhatsApp VoIP has a complex connection establishment protocol which made it vulnerable for the users- said Karsten Nohl, a chief data scientist at German Firm Security Research Labs.