Cyber agency cautions users against certain weaknesses detected in WhatsApp

India's cyber security agency CERT-In cautions WhatsApp users about certain vulnerabilities detected in popular instant messaging app that could lead to breach of sensitive information

Whatsapp
Photo: Bloomberg
Press Trust of India New Delhi
2 min read Last Updated : Apr 17 2021 | 2:29 PM IST

Country's cyber security agency has cautioned WhatsApp users about certain vulnerabilities detected in the popular instant messaging app that could lead to breach of sensitive information.

A "high" severity rating advisory issued by the CERT-In or the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team said the vulnerability has been detected in software that has "WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business for Android prior to v2.21.4.18 and WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business for iOS prior to v2.21.32."

The CERT-In is the national technology arm to combat cyber attacks and guarding the Indian cyber space.

"Multiple vulnerabilities have been reported in WhatsApp applications which could allow a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive information on a targeted system," the advisory said.

Describing the risk in detail, it said that these vulnerabilities "exist in WhatsApp applications due to a cache configuration issue and missing bounds check within the audio decoding pipeline."

"Successful exploitation of these vulnerabilities could allow the attacker to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive information on a targeted system," it said.

The advisory added that users of the app (application) should update the latest version of WhatsApp from Google Play store or iOS App Store to counter the vulnerability threat.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Topics :whatsappGoogle Play StoreApple iOS

First Published: Apr 17 2021 | 2:21 PM IST

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