WhatsApp spyware vulnerability

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WhatsApp users are being urged to update their apps, to address a vulnerability discovered recently. If you have family members using this platform, I
[See the full post at: WhatsApp spyware vulnerability]

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Elly, Myst, woody, Microfix

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Facebook = /facepalm
‘Pegasus’ spyware: aptly named trojan horse that flew off with your data.

NSO limits sales of its spyware, Pegasus, to state intelligence agencies

I’ll bet users of WhatsApp are comforted at that news..

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Myst

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Apps are great to have when they complement the existing, but when they bring together multiple features for easier operation that’s when I steer clear.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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It’s a little more complex than that. Ends up that this vulnerability was used to attack the phone of a human rights attorney. It’s not widespread, but it is disconcerting.

WhatsApp should be updating itself automatically, but if you’re very concerned, you can check manually:

On an iPhone:
— Open the App Store and select updates.
— Select “WhatsApp” and Update.
On Android:
— Open the Play Store and tap on the 3 lines in the upper left corner.
— Select “My apps & games”.
— Select “WhatsApp” and Update.

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Myst

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This also affects PC Windows/ Mac versions as well as windows phones.

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Myst

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Microfix wrote:

This also affects PC Windows/ Mac versions as well as windows phones.

Any source for the PC Windows/Mac info?

More than 80 sites report that it only affects phones:

WhatsApp for Android prior to v2.19.134
WhatsApp Business for Android prior to v2.19.44
WhatsApp for iOS prior to v2.19.51
WhatsApp Business for iOS prior to v2.19.51
WhatsApp for Windows Phone prior to v2.18.348
WhatsApp for Tizen prior to v2.18.15

https://www.facebook.com/security/advisories/cve-2019-3568

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Myst, Microfix

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@b my bad, misread (now corrected in previous post)

How do the people know if they are infected with spyware or not?
How does one know if the spyware is off their device after the update?
I guess we’ll soon find out..

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Myst

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When all our devices can communicate, whether it be an app originally on a phone or a Mac or PC, there’s the possibility it can infect another system on the same network. So you’re basically correct in your initial post, taking into account the way our machines speak with each other.

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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Here’s a link from The Verge … https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/14/18622744/whatsapp-spyware-nso-pegasus-vulnerability

MacOS iPadOS and sometimes SOS

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Microfix

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According to The Verge,

A buffer overflow vulnerability in WhatsApp VOIP stack allowed remote code execution via specially crafted series of SRTCP packets sent to a target phone number

Shouldn’t buffer overflows be a basic thing detected on everyday automated testing, or not testing basic stuff at all is the new trend from multi-gazillion IT corporations?

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In theory, yes…

In practice, it’s often nontrivial and corner cases can be quite obscure – especially when it’s for an encrypted near-realtime protocol that supports rekeying, which is what SRTCP is.

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