Subj : WhatsApp patches security flaw which let hackers install spyware
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Thu Mar 20 2025 14:15:09

WhatsApp patches security flaw which let hackers install spyware

Date:
Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:08:00 +0000

Description:
Zero-click zero-day was allegedly being used by multiple nation-states 
against journalists and other high-profile targets.

FULL STORY
======================================================================WhatsApp
 patches vulnerability used to deploy Graphite Graphite is a commercial 
spyware built by Israeli devs Paragon Around 90 people were targeted, 
WhatsApp said 

WhatsApp says it has fixed a zero-day vulnerability which was apparently used 
by nation-states to spy on journalists, dissidents, political opponents, and 
others. 

After being tipped off by security researchers from Citizen Lab, WhatsApp 
addressed a bug which allowed threat actors to deploy Graphite, a 
sophisticated spyware tool developed by the Israeli company Paragon 
Solutions. 

Graphite was deployed in a zero-click attack, meaning no interaction from the 
victim was required. Protecting your Android phone 

"WhatsApp has disrupted a spyware campaign by Paragon that targeted a number 
of users including journalists and members of civil society. Weve reached out 
directly to people who we believe were affected," a WhatsApp spokesperson 
told BleepingComputer . 

"This is the latest example of why spyware companies must be held accountable 
for their unlawful actions. WhatsApp will continue to protect peoples ability 
to communicate privately." 

A CVE was not assigned to the vulnerability. 

WhatsApp further said it notified some 90 people, located in more than two 
dozen countries, including Italian journalists and activists. 

In theory, the attack was very simple. After obtaining their targets phone 
numbers, the threat actors would add them to a WhatsApp group, before sending 
a weaponized PDF. Since the device automatically processes PDF files, the 
endpoint gets compromised without any action from the user. The next step is 
to escape the Android sandbox and install the spyware, which grants the 
attackers access to the devices messaging applications. 

Citizen Lab was analyzing Graphites infrastructure and found potential links 
to multiple government customers, including Australia, Canada, Cyprus, 
Denmark, Israel, and Singapore. 

Governments in Europe and the United States have been quite vocal in their 
opposition to commercial spyware. In February 2022, the European Data 
Protection Supervisor (EDPS) recommended banning the use of Pegasus spyware 
within the EU, citing concerns over fundamental rights and freedoms. Pegasus 
developer team, NGO Group, was blacklisted in the United States on November 
3, 2021. You might also like Pegasus spyware is still targeting top business 
leaders We've rounded up the best password managers Take a look at our guide 
to the best authenticator app



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/whatsapp-patches-security-flaw-which-le
t-hackers-install-spyware


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