WhatsApp chats of iPhone users are in danger. Or at least this is what Google's cybersecurity experts say, who in the previous days discovered the presence of malicious websites capable of hacking iPhones and installing viruses that can compromise the smartphone and steal users' personal information.
The experts of Google's Project Zero team had raised the alarm by talking about over 1.5 billion devices in danger and that the vulnerabilities discovered affected all iPhones that were equipped with an iOS version between 10 and 12. It had not emerged , however, the most worrying data: in fact, not only the personal data of the users are in danger, but also the personal chats present on WhatsApp and Telegram. The confirmation comes from Ian Beer, a Google researcher, who has monitored the functioning of the hacker attacks that affect the iPhone. The virus installed by hackers is able to access all databases on the device, even those of applications that theoretically use end-to-end encryption to protect user conversations.
By accessing these databases, the researcher discovered that they contained the unencrypted messages exchanged on WhatsApp by users and it was possible to read the content and the recipient of the message. But not only. The malware was able to spy on Gmail, messages exchanged on Hangouts and Telegram, copy contacts saved in the address book, images and know the exact location of the person at any time thanks to GPS. And the virus could also save the passwords of Wi-Fi networks saved on the smartphone.
WhatsApp chats are in danger
The Google IT expert, in an interview with Forbes magazine, stated that the virus that infects the iPhone is able to transfer all the stolen information to an external server in no time. What does it mean? That the WhatsApp conversations of thousands of users could have ended up in the hands of hackers who could use them for illicit purposes or to obtain personal data and resell it on the dark web.
Android smartphones are in danger
According to cybersecurity researchers, malicious websites can hack and install viruses not only on iPhones, but also on Android devices. If the news were confirmed, the number of smartphones under attack would skyrocket. As well as the number of WhatsApp chats that may have ended up in the hands of criminals. We are facing one of the biggest hacker attacks ever in history. You just need to figure out the real number of infected devices.
How to defend iPhone from hacker attack
Google researchers discovered the malicious sites last February and immediately notified Apple that it has released a patch to fix the problem. If you have an iPhone with an iOS version between 10 and 12, immediately update it to the latest version available (12.4.1).