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by John W. Simek, Vice President of Sensei Enterprises, Inc.

WhatsApp Bug Allows Installation of Spy Software

May 14, 2019

The big news of yesterday is the report of a vulnerability in WhatsApp that allows surveillance software to be installed without a user’s knowledge. You don’t even need to answer the call to get infected. “The attack has all the hallmarks of a private company reportedly that works with governments to deliver spyware that takes over the functions of mobile phone operating systems,” WhatsApp said in a press briefing. The Israeli firm NSO Group is said to be responsible for installing the surveillance software on targeted devices. According to Facebook, the following versions of WhatsApp are impacted.

  • 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
  • WhatsApp for Tizen prior to v2.18.15

You’re probably not one of the high profile targets intended to be the target of surveillance, but you should update WhatsApp anyway. Better yet, stop supporting Facebook by uninstalling WhatsApp and using Signal instead.

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