Back in April, we told you how to change certain settings to ensure your safety when using WhatsApp.
Turns out this was some Game of Thrones-level foreshadowing, because just over a month later WhatsApp discovered that a dangerous voice call exploit allowed malicious parties to load Pegasus spyware onto Android and iOS devices.
The exploit allows hackers to install spyware onto your phone through an infected WhatsApp call, whether or not you answer it.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be one clear, definitive way to check whether or not you’ve been hacked, reports Business Insider, but there are signs that you can look out for:
“One is to try and keep a look at changes in your mobile device,” said Domingo Guerra, a mobile security expert for antivirus software maker Symantec.
“If battery usage seems to be completely different than just recently, or if the device is running hot because maybe it’s sending and receiving a lot of data, there may be signs that the device is compromised.”
You should also update the WhatsApp app on your phone to the latest version.
WhatsApp discovered the problem this month and promptly fixed the issue. But the company has not said how many of the app’s 1,5 billion users are likely to have been affected.
For more details, here’s MyBroadband’s Jan Vermeulen discussing the breach:
The good news is that if you haven’t received any WhatsApp calls or dropped calls from unknown numbers, you’re probably fine.
Just to be safe, though, update the app anyway.
[sources:businessinsider&mybroadband]
