Probably an appropriate moment to update WhatsApp?

[stockhausen]

WhatsApp is encouraging users to update to the latest version of the app after discovering a vulnerability that allowed spyware to be injected into a user’s phone through the app’s phone call function.
. . .
Attackers could transmit the malicious code to a target’s device by calling the user and infecting the call whether or not the recipient answered the call. Logs of the incoming calls were often erased, according to the report.

WhatsApp said that the vulnerability was discovered this month, and that the company quickly addressed the problem within its own infrastructure. An update to the app was published Monday, and the company is encouraging users to upgrade out of an abundance of caution.
. . .
The vulnerability was used in an attempted attack on the phone of a UK-based attorney on 12 May, the FT reported. The lawyer, who was not identified by name, is involved in a lawsuit against [the developers of the malicious code] brought by a group of Mexican journalists, government critics and a Saudi Arabian dissident. [LINK]

The software was developed by an American owned company based in Israel and funded by the Israeli Intelligence services - meanwhile we get worked up by possible links between Huawei and the Chinese Government

 

[VincentHanna]

Last update to Google Play Store was 10th May though.

 

[Roar87]

Damn I hope no one is viewing the group chat where we send Game of Thrones memes and the like, Mossad are onto us.

 

[neil_g]

Last update to Google Play Store was 10th May though.

the issue was 10 days ago so likely covered in the latest update

 

[h4rm0ny]

https://telegram.org/apps

 

[neil_g]

https://telegram.org/apps

great, but nobody i know uses it

 

[h4rm0ny]

the issue was 10 days ago so likely covered in the latest update

No guarantee that an exploit found last Tuesday was patched in the two and a half working days between its discovery and the last update. Heck, it can take a days just to run through all the pre-release tests. If the release notes don't mention it, I wouldn't hold out hope.

 

[h4rm0ny]

great, but nobody i know uses it

And in one line we see why Twitter and Facebook are so powerful.

 

[neil_g]

No guarantee that an exploit found last Tuesday was patched in the two and a half working days between its discovery and the last update. Heck, it can take a days just to run through all the pre-release tests. If the release notes don't mention it, I wouldn't hold out hope.

i'll rephrase. 10 days ago they admitted to authorities there was a flaw

And in one line we see why Twitter and Facebook are so powerful.

indeed!

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Honestly, if they want to eavesdrop on the boring to and fro I have between myself and my wife they are more than welcome. There ain't anything sexy about those convos anymore. Oh, and football scores between work colleagues. Plus a few gym selfies

 

[Hilly]

Last update to Google Play Store was 10th May though.

That's the right update.

 

[touch]

No guarantee that an exploit found last Tuesday was patched in the two and a half working days between its discovery and the last update. Heck, it can take a days just to run through all the pre-release tests. If the release notes don't mention it, I wouldn't hold out hope.

They claim it has been fixed in the latest update:
https://www.facebook.com/security/advisories/cve-2019-3568

 

[craaaaaig]

Thanks, I've been waiting years to see stickers in full size

 

[glenimp617]

so how do I read other peoples text messages?

 

[stockhausen]

Damn I hope no one is viewing the group chat where we send Game of Thrones memes and the like, Mossad are onto us.

I don't know anything about you but as the attacks appear to have been"targetted" and you are probably not a Journalist, Lawyer, Activist or in any way connected with defending anybody's Human Rights you are probably quite safe.

 

[iamtheoneneo]

Surely this is kind of a non issue. Yes exploits suck but its WhatsApp run by Facebook the scummiest company out there.

They are already collecting all your information, it just so happens that someone else has it too now and given the nature of this exploit it sounds like they are more than likely trying to identify and tap government officials etc and your average citizen is just collateral.

We are not significant in this at all.

 

[UberTiger]

so how do I read other peoples text messages?

Contact Israeli company NSO group, convince you are a good guy, pay much money, they give you hack, you spy on enemy!

great, but nobody i know uses it

Download Signal and Telegram now and be the catalyst in your social circle to help grow the network. Interesting just to see which of your contact have already joined.

 

[stockhausen]

. . . Yes exploits suck but it is WhatsApp run by Facebook, the scummiest company out there. . . .

I'm sure you are right.

. . . given the nature of this exploit it sounds like they are more than likely trying to identify and tap government officials etc and your average citizen is just collateral. . . .

I suspect that you are wrong . . .

The UK lawyer whose phone was targeted by spyware that exploits a WhatsApp vulnerability said it appeared to be a desperate attempt by someone to covertly find out the details of his human rights work.

The lawyer, who asked not to be named, is involved in a civil case brought against the Israeli surveillance company NSO Group whose sophisticated Pegasus malware has reportedly been used against Mexican journalists, and a prominent Saudi dissident living in Canada.

It has been claimed the would-be hacker had also repeatedly attempted to install Pegasus on the lawyer’s phone in recent weeks.

It was the lawyer’s suspicions that he might be being targeted that led him to raise his concerns with the Citizen Lab, the cyber specialists based at the University of Toronto. “A couple of months ago, I started to get WhatsApp video calls early in the morning at weird hours. I was suspicious of them and contacted Citizen Lab,” the lawyer said.

 

[mattyfez]

My what's app was already patched up by the time the news broke as all my Google play apps update whenever I'm on WiFi rather than mobile date .. I don't get what the big deal is.

Facebook /WhatsApp is basically a data mining tool with built in message functionality anyway ..