Major flaw found in WhatsApp
Hackers could exploit vulnerability to intercept and manipulate messages — researchers
Researchers at a cybersecurity firm said yesterday they had found a flaw in WhatsApp that could allow hackers to modify and send fake messages in the social messaging app.
CheckPoint said the vulnerability gives a hacker the possibility “to intercept and manipulate messages sent by those in a group or private conversation” as well as “create, spread misinformation”.
The discovery of the flaw by the Israeli firm comes as the service is coming under increasing scrutiny as a means of spreading misinformation due to its popularity and convenience for forwarding messages to groups.
WhatsApp said in a statement: “We carefully reviewed this issue and it’s the equivalent of altering an email to make it look like something a person never wrote.” However, WhatsApps said: “This claim has nothing to do with the security of end-to-end encryption, which ensures only the sender and recipient can read messages sent on WhatsApp.”— AFP
With the Indian government talking tough on WhatsApp’s failure to check the spread of fake and provocative content on its platform, the instant messaging service yesterday said it has begun rolling out its forward message limit to five chats for over 200 million users in India.
The Facebook-owned platform last month announced to launch a test to limit message forwarding to five chats in India. “The limit has started to appear this week for people in India who are on the current version of WhatsApp,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
In addition, the instant messaging app also published a new video to educate its users, saying it is expanding its user education campaign on how to spot fake news and hoaxes. “This week, WhatsApp is publishing a new video that explains the importance of the ‘forward’ label and calls users to ‘double check the facts when you’re not sure who created the original message,’” said the company.
People forward more messages, photos, and videos in India than any other country in the world. Globally, the company allows users to forward messages for up to 20 chats (either individuals or groups). WhatsApp said that with new changes, which it will continue to evaluate, “will help keep WhatsApp the way it was designed to be: a private messaging app”.
“We are deeply committed to your safety and privacy which is why WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted, and we’ll continue to improve our app with features like this one,” it said in an earlier statement.
Media reports surfaced this week, claiming the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had asked telecom companies for ways to block social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram and Instagram in case of threat to national security and public order.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), however, said the government should look for “more effective” steps to curb fake news and maintain public order, instead of blocking mobile applications.
Users cautioned
Facing flak over circulation of fake news on its platform, WhatsApp yesterday said it is rolling out educational videos in India asking users to “double check” facts before sharing messages received as forwards.
The videos, in Hindi and English, will be available on Facebook — the parent company of WhatsApp as the messaging platform looks to combat spread of rumours that have incited mob fury cases in India.
“WhatsApp is expanding its user education campaign on how to spot fake news and hoaxes. This week, WhatsApp is publishing a new video that explains the importance of the “forward” label and calls users to double check the facts when they are not sure who created the original message,” WhatsApp said, elaborating on the 27-second video clip.
Following multiple incidents of mob lynching across the country, the government had slapped WhatsApp with two notices, with the second one warning that it will treat the messaging platform as ‘abettor’ of rumour propagation and legal consequences will follow if adequate checks are not put in place.