This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-50470476
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
New WhatsApp security concern: India cyber cell advises update | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
India's main cyber security agency, Cert, has asked users to update WhatsApp on their phones after the discovery of a potential vulnerability on older versions of the messaging app. | |
The potential issue could have been triggered by a video file sent from an unknown number. | |
WhatsApp said that it had no reason to believe users' phones were affected. | |
News of the new issue came soon after WhatsApp admitted that its software was used to install spyware on phones. | |
Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, had announced the fix for the new vulnerability in the system a few days ago. | |
It said that if users opened the video file, the software installed itself on the phone - in similar fashion to the Pegasus malware, which is believed to have been used against journalists and activists. | It said that if users opened the video file, the software installed itself on the phone - in similar fashion to the Pegasus malware, which is believed to have been used against journalists and activists. |
Cert said that the vulnerability would have allowed attackers to access phones and make changes to the device, no matter where it was geographically located. | |
The issue would have required requires users to open the video file, unlike the more sophisticated Pegasus which activated itself through a vulnerability in WhatsApp's video calling function and did not require the call to be answered. | |
The messaging app has also said it has issued a security update that should take care of the issue. | |
India has 400 million WhatsApp users, making the country its biggest market. | India has 400 million WhatsApp users, making the country its biggest market. |