It is not uncommon for dangerous security gaps in various services or operating systems to be exploited. It has now been announced that WhatsApp has been the victim of a cyber attack - the consequences are serious.
A Facebook spokesperson announced that WhatsApp was recently the victim of a hacker attack. The security gap has now been closed, but users of the messenger must urgently download the latest update. The cyber attack was only possible because of the security gap discovered by WhatsApp itself. According to reports, this made it possible to install spyware on various devices. The exact number of WhatsApp accounts attacked was not given - but some prominent user accounts were among the victims - the human rights organization Amnesty was also affected. According to initial information, the hackers are said to be the Israeli security company NSO.
Update strongly recommended
According to the statement, the problem was the voice call function within WhatsApp. Thanks to the vulnerability, the hackers were able to install spy software that could read all the information on the device in question - and this also gave the hackers access to the device in question. According to the spokesperson, the vulnerability has now been fixed and an emergency update has been made available. Facebook recommends that all WhatsApp users update as soon as possible. Facebook has also provided a list of the affected WhatsApp versions. You can find these below:
WhatsApp for iOS before v2.19.51
WhatsApp Business for iOS before v2.19.51
WhatsApp for Android before v2.19.134
WhatsApp Business for Android before v2.19.44
WhatsApp for Windows Phone before v2.18.348
WhatsApp for Tizen before v2.18.15
WhatsApp was founded in 2009 and is one of the largest social networks in the world with around 1.5 billion users who send over 60 billion messages every day. The messenger is, just like Instagram, part of the Facebook empire. How to activate the screen lock
