A virus that was already circulating on Android devices in 2019 returns. At the time, a WhatsApp update was enough, downloadable for free from the Play Store, but at the moment this new version does not seem to have been solved yet.
Several WhatsApp users have reported a new type of hacker attack. It uses the profile picture and is able to spy on chats directly. Security is one of the messaging app’s weaknesses, and we often turn to alternative solutions like Telegram and Signal. In fact, these competing applications first devote a lot of attention to security.
The year-end virus that infects mobile phones via WhatsApp: just a photo
A simple trick is enough for even less experienced hackers to get hold of any WhatsApp profile. Through the profile photo it would be possible to penetrate the chat of any device and read them, stealing sensitive data. All that remains is to find out how this attack occurs.
This type of attack is very similar to the one that used a technology similar to that developed by the Israeli company NSO Group. In that case, the spyware installed itself simply through a phone call, which could also go unanswered. The call then disappeared from the history, but installed a virus that could completely steal the data from the owner of the phone.
Now, however, the attacker can send a simple photo in chat. According to reports from affected users, the data thief could even have access to the gallery through this operation. A real theft, through what in computer science is known as a virus Trojan.
The year-end virus that infects mobile phones via WhatsApp: just a photo. The experts of the ProiezionidiBorsa.it team recommend that you always keep your smartphone and application up to date. Only in this way, in fact, can the user protect himself and his data from cyber attacks of this kind.
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