See More

Researchers Discover Whatsapp Bug that Deletes Group Chat Histories and Crashes Apps

2 mins
By
Updated by
Join our Trading Community on Telegram
Cybersecurity experts have discovered a Whatsapp bug that can affect hundreds of people connected to a malicious individual via a group chat. Check Point Research has released a report detailing how a single user could crash the apps of every member on a WhatsApp group by merely editing certain messages.

Message Modifications Could Crash the App

The report explains that once on a group chat, a malicious user could edit some messages with a browser debugging tool available on the app’s web platform. By doing this, they could create any stoppable crash loop for every group member, which will both wipe their chat histories and recent them from returning to the group. The only way to fix this, the cybersecurity firm notes, is to uninstall the app and download it again. Oded Vanunu, the Head of Product Vulnerability Research at the firm, said, “Because WhatsApp is one of the world’s leading communication channels for consumers, businesses and government agencies, the ability to stop people using WhatsApp and delete valuable information from group chats is a powerful weapon for bad actors.” He added that to protect themselves, users will need to update their apps to the latest version. The bug was first discovered back in August and had been reported to WhatsApp as part of a bug bounty program. In response, the company released a bug fix for it in the version 2.19.246. WhatsApp WhatsApp Software Engineer Ehren alert confirmed the patch, adding that the company has also added stronger controls to prevent people from being added to unwanted WhatsApp groups for their privacy.

British Politicians Leave WhatsApp

Security vulnerabilities are undoubtedly not new to WhatsApp, or its parent company Facebook. Still, it’s popularity over a lot of its competitors remains intact. WhatsApp currently has 1.5 billion monthly active users, with about 65 billion messages being sent on its platform daily. Earlier this week, members of the British parliament reportedly ditched Whatsapp for Signal over issues of data leaks. Signal is one of WhatsApp’s major rivals, and the app promises encrypted, ad-free communications and the ability to prevent any third parties from reading messages. It’s already been endorsed by Edward Snowden, and this year, the company launched the Signal Foundation and enlisted WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton as executive chairman. Acton pledged £38 million ($50 million) to the development of the app, and now that parliamentarians have chosen to integrate it into their communications, the app seems to be capping off what has been a great year.
Top crypto platforms in the US | March 2024
Coinbase Coinbase Explore →
AlgosOne AlgosOne Explore →
Chain GPT Chain GPT Explore →
iTrustCapital iTrustCapital Explore →

Trusted

Disclaimer

In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content. Please note that our Terms and ConditionsPrivacy Policy, and Disclaimers have been updated.

Sponsored
Sponsored