Do you know WhatsApp isn’t safe anymore: find out
According to a new analysis from Mobile Security Framework, WhatsApp falsely claims to be a highly safe service while advertising end-to-end encryption, a wealth of privacy options, and other security measures (MobSF).
MobSF is a static and dynamic analysis capable automated mobile application (Android/iOS/Windows) for pen-testing, malware analysis, and security assessment. Its most recent report on WhatsApp demonstrates how high-risk Meta’s messaging app is, awarding it a C grade for security with a score of 39/100.
25 high-risk concerns and 94 medium-risk issues were found by the analysis. The majority of these concerned WhatsApp’s need for permissions and how much information app might access on your phone.
For instance, the messaging app has access to both your GPS position and your coarse location, which the research claims may be exploited by malicious apps to determine where you are and drains your battery.
Additionally, it has the ability to read the identification and state of your phone, receive and process SMS, and display system-level notifications, which would enable malicious apps to completely take over the screen.
Down the list, there is a large list of high-risk permissions, such as the capacity to access the phone’s external storage or gather your full camera roll. The report also advises against setting the app’s start mode activity to “singleTask/singleInstance” because this permits other apps to read intent, endangering sensitive data.
Do you know WhatsApp isn’t safe anymore: find out
A lot of these glaring issues were already highlighted in WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy last year, forcing millions to switch to alternative apps like Telegram and Signal. But this new analysis from MobSF uncovers detailed technical information as well.
