If you have WhatsApp installed on your smartphone and you belong to a group, it is time to update your app otherwise this might happen.
Security research group Check Point Research today announced the existence of another WhatsApp security flaws, having recently uncovered a defect through which a single malicious user could crash the apps of all members of a group chat.
After joining a group chat, a user could edit specific message parameters using the WhatsApp web interface and a browser debugging tool. Then they could create an “unstoppable crash-loop for all group chat members” which could only be fixed by uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
In other word, If a hacker takes advantage of this flaw, it will not only be your WhatsApp that will be affected, but also your friends’.
To exploit this flaw, a specific message is sent to one of your groups. And as soon as this happens, all members’ WhatsApp will stop working until they install it again. Also, it will not be possible to return to the group, until it is permanently deleted, the application will continue to block it constantly.
This follows another WhatsApp vulnerability discovered by Check Point last year. The FakesApp vulnerability, as it is known, allowed people to manipulate messages in group chats to make it appear as if other users had said things they had not.
This worked by manipulating the parameters used by the WhatsApp web interface to fake the apparent sender of a message.
Though Check point alerted WhatsApp and a patch was rolled out in September… kindly confirm that you have the latest update of the app installed on your device so that you won’t be a victim.
Security research group Check Point Research today announced the existence of another WhatsApp security flaws, having recently uncovered a defect through which a single malicious user could crash the apps of all members of a group chat.
After joining a group chat, a user could edit specific message parameters using the WhatsApp web interface and a browser debugging tool. Then they could create an “unstoppable crash-loop for all group chat members” which could only be fixed by uninstalling and reinstalling the app.
In other word, If a hacker takes advantage of this flaw, it will not only be your WhatsApp that will be affected, but also your friends’.
To exploit this flaw, a specific message is sent to one of your groups. And as soon as this happens, all members’ WhatsApp will stop working until they install it again. Also, it will not be possible to return to the group, until it is permanently deleted, the application will continue to block it constantly.
This follows another WhatsApp vulnerability discovered by Check Point last year. The FakesApp vulnerability, as it is known, allowed people to manipulate messages in group chats to make it appear as if other users had said things they had not.
This worked by manipulating the parameters used by the WhatsApp web interface to fake the apparent sender of a message.
Though Check point alerted WhatsApp and a patch was rolled out in September… kindly confirm that you have the latest update of the app installed on your device so that you won’t be a victim.