WhatsApp And Telegram Security Flaw Allows Hackers To Manipulate Your Media Files

Both WhatsApp and Telegram tout themselves as secure messaging systems thanks to their use of end-to-end encryption. However, according to researchers from Symantec, they have discovered that there is a flaw in both their systems that allow hackers to potentially manipulate media files that have been sent and received through its platforms.

According to Software Engineer Alon Gat and Yair Amit, Vice-President and Chief Technology Officer, Modern OS Security, Symantec, “If the security flaw is exploited, a malicious attacker could misuse and manipulate sensitive information such as personal photos and videos, corporate documents, invoices, and voice memos.”

What this means is that in theory, hackers could potentially intercept media files sent and received, manipulate them, such as changing the bank account number on an invoice, and the recipient will never be the wiser. This can be achieved through an app that runs silently in the background without the user knowing about it.

In response to the report, a WhatsApp spokesperson told The Verge, “WhatsApp has looked closely at this issue and it’s similar to previous questions about mobile device storage impacting the app ecosystem. WhatsApp follows current best practices provided by operating systems for media storage and looks forward to providing updates in line with Android’s ongoing development.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Security, telegram, Whatsapp