WhatsApp Bug Allowed Hackers to Hijack Accounts -- Security Today

WhatsApp Bug Allowed Hackers to Hijack Accounts

Facebook's WhatsApp says it has fixed a video call security bug that let hackers hijack accounts.

By Sydny Shepard
Oct 12, 2018

Facebook's WhatsApp service announced on Wednesday that it has fixed the latest bug on its platform that allowed hackers to take over users' applications when they answered an incoming video call.

The bug was originally reported by technology websites like ZDnet and The Register. The articles suggest the bug was discovered in late August and was fixed by Facebook in early October.

"We routinely engage with security researchers from around the world to ensure WhatsApp remains safe and reliable. We promptly issued a fix to the latest version of WhatsApp to resolve this issue," Ann Yeh, spokeswoman for WhatsApp, told Reuters in an email.

The bug comes as Facebook suffers a string of security-related problems in the last year. The social media platform disclosed its worst-ever security breach affecting nearly 50 million accounts just last week.

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

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