WhatsApp can read someone else’s correspondence

A vulnerability was discovered in the WhatsApp messenger installed on smartphones with the Android operating system. Its essence is to access information using GIF animation files.

According to cyber security experts, a potential victim could be attacked using a malicious GIF file. The user opens the "gif", hackers gain access to the smartphone: multimedia files and text messages.

If the attacker’s number is in the victim’s notebook, the image is downloaded automatically. There is even no need to confirm anything by the owner of the smartphone.

The vulnerability was found in the mechanism for creating a preview in the gallery for images and GIF files of the messenger. Potentially endangered devices based on the Android operating system versions 8.1 and 9.0.

After reporting this problem to developers, the vulnerability was closed. But in order to prevent possible information leakage, WhatsApp is recommended to upgrade to version 2.19.244.