Security flaw in WhatsApp may have compromised your files

The desktop version of WhatsApp revealed to have a serious security weakness. Researcher Gal Weizman is the author of the discovery.

Weizman revealed that Facebook has already solved the problem, but explains that, during the time it was unpatched, the flaw may have given rise to some privacy invasions. According to the researcher, it is possible that some hackers took advantage of this weakness to access users' private files.

The software was working based on version 69 of Google Chromium, whose problems were already known. In this case, the system allows the introduction of someone else's code, which makes it easier to change the permissions of apps developed based on it. As a result, it becomes easy to access other users' files, change messages and install malware on other computers, all remotely.

The flaws affected version 0.3.9309 and all previous versions of WhatsApp, both for Windows and for Mac. The problem may also have impacted the paired iPhone through version 2.20.10 of the mobile application.

If you downloaded the app recently, or have been keen to keep it updated, you should not be subject to any problems related to this security breach.

Facebook developed WhatsApp based on an Electron framework, which facilitates the delivery of multiplatform apps based on web technology. However, the security of these apps is dependent on the web engine on which they are developed.