Feb 05, 2025
In May 2019, WhatsApp, a popular messaging app used by billions of people around the world, discovered a big problem. There was a flaw in their system that allowed hackers to install spyware on people's phones. This meant that hackers could secretly read messages, listen to calls, and even track the location of people who used WhatsApp.
Spyware is a type of malicious software that is designed to secretly gather information from a person's device without their knowledge or consent. It's like a digital spy that can watch everything you do on your phone or computer.
The hackers exploited a weakness in WhatsApp's voice calling feature. They could send a malicious video call to a person's phone, and even if the person didn't answer the call, the spyware would still be installed on their device. This meant that the hackers could start gathering information from the person's phone without them even realizing it.
The hack affected people all around the world, including journalists, activists, and government officials. It's estimated that around 1,400 people were affected by the hack. The majority of these people were located in the Middle East and Mexico.
The spyware used in the attack, called Pegasus, is very powerful. It can access a wide range of information on a person's device, including:
As soon as WhatsApp discovered the problem, they sprang into action. They released a patch to fix the vulnerability, which meant that people could update their app to protect themselves from the hack. They also notified the affected users and worked with them to remove the spyware from their devices.
To protect yourself from similar hacks in the future, here are some things you can do:
NSO Group is a Israeli cybersecurity company that developed the Pegasus spyware used in the attack. The company claims that its software is only used by governments and law enforcement agencies to fight crime and terrorism. However, there have been reports that the software has been used to target human rights activists, journalists, and other individuals who are not involved in criminal activity.
After the WhatsApp hack was discovered, Facebook and WhatsApp filed a lawsuit against NSO Group, alleging that the company was responsible for the hack and that it had violated WhatsApp's terms of service. The lawsuit is still ongoing, and it's unclear what the outcome will be.
I hope this explanation helps you understand what happened with the WhatsApp spyware hack. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!