WhatsApp, Apple iPhone, Android devices targeted by hackers, says Meta. Here’s what has …

WhatsApp said Friday it discovered an advanced cyberespionage effort that took advantage of a chain of security vulnerabilities in the app and Apple devices to hack them. A researcher with Amnesty International said unidentified members of civic groups appeared to be among those impacted. In a brief statement, the Meta Platforms-owned communications service said it had patched the security vulnerability that allowed hackers to take advantage of a second vulnerability on Apple devices and hijack the machines. In a statement, WhatsApp said that fewer than 200 users worldwide had potentially been impacted. Donncha O Cearbhaill, who heads Amnesty’s Security Lab, told Reuters that his group was starting to collect forensic data from potential victims. In a post on X, he said that initial signs were that the hacking “was impacting both iPhone and Android users, civil society individuals among them.” He said other apps beyond WhatsApp may also have been affected. Earlier in August, An unusually broad coalition composed of the United States, its traditional English-speaking allies, and other nations including Germany, Italy and Japan are calling out three Chinese companies over alleged hacking activity. In a 37-page advisory published Wednesday, the countries accused the firms, Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology
Read More