You should be aware that not everyone using WhatsApp is safe. Meta has alerted users to a significant security vulnerability that hackers used to launch a sophisticated, focused malware campaign that compromised dozens of WhatsApp accounts. This is why it’s important and why you should upgrade the app right now.
In order to fix a vulnerability that was exploited in conjunction with another weakness in Apple devices, WhatsApp declared on Friday that it has released an emergency patch for its messaging program on iOS and Mac. According to reports, a week before WhatsApp’s upgrade, Apple resolved the security flaw in its devices.
Why is this so dangerous?
Hackers reportedly used a well-known zero-click attack—a technique that compromises a device without requiring user interaction—to successfully exploit both vulnerabilities. In certain situations, a victim might get a link or image from an attacker, who might then take control of the device and run malicious code to spy on or steal private data without the victim having to click.
Meta acknowledged notifying dozens of people it thought were the campaign’s target. A copy of the alert message, which detailed the reason for the warning and the next steps, was posted on X by the head of the security company Amnesty Tech. The notification suggested that victims reset their device to factory defaults.
We’ve made changes to prevent this specific attack from occurring through WhatsApp. However, your device’s operating system could remain compromised by the malware or targeted in other ways.
Meta
To best protect yourself, we recommend a full device factory reset. We also strongly urge you to keep your devices updated to the latest version of the operating system, and ensure that your WhatsApp app is up to date.
These kinds of advertisements have already targeted WhatsApp users. Similar zero-day exploits have been connected in the past to monitoring operations targeting prominent people, such as journalists and politicians.
What should you do to be safe?
Even though only a small percentage of WhatsApp users were impacted, others should still be concerned about this attack. Installing the most recent security update for your Apple device and updating WhatsApp on your Mac and iPhone are highly advised.
Even while Android users aren’t being targeted by this operation, they could still be at risk due to the same WhatsApp flaws. They should also install the most recent Android security patch and update to the most recent version of WhatsApp. Users who believe they may be in danger can manually activate new features like Advanced Device Protection, which provide an additional layer of security.
