By Matthew Roscoe • Published: 04 Feb 2021 • 11:50
CREDIT: Photo by Rachit Tank on Unsplash
Warning: Hackers Design Fake Version of WhatsApp to Steal Information. A GROUP of hackers have apparently designed a fake version of WhatsApp, very similar in appearance to the real one, specifically aimed at iPhone users in order to steal information about them and their mobile devices.
The cybersecurity company ZecOps reported a few days ago that it had detected an attack against WhatsApp users on iOS, including a domain and an IP address.
An investigation carried out by Citizen Lab and Motherboard after the report from ZecOps have revealed that the discovered domain tried to trick iPhone users into installing a fake version of WhatsApp – which is actually spyware designed for users of the application on iPhone devices.
The link to the download was on a page that looked very similar to the legitimate one and included the WhatsApp brand and instructions on how to install the application. Actually, as Citizen Lab found out, it was a file with a special configuration for the iPhone.
The file allowed access to obtain information about the victims, such as the UDID code, unique for each iPhone, or the IMEI identifier, which identifies each mobile device. However, Citizen Lab acknowledged that they were not able to discover what other data is collected.
Motherboard also indicates that they were not been able to identify whose information had been captured. Although they have now started working with Cy4Gate, an Italian cybersecurity firm that usually works with state agencies.
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
Is it so important who steals your data? If WhatsApp will not track the users in full, no one would be able to hack your account. I always offer to use something more secured like Signal or Utopia p2p. People should understand that they have to care about their data more.
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