Android, iPhone Users Sideloading Fake WhatsApp Could Be at Risk
The US-based tech giant, in a statement given to Italy’s Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), warned about a fake WhatsApp app, which was being used to spy on approximately 200 Android and iPhone users, especially in Italy. Meta reportedly said that the company has disconnected the affected accounts and warned the victims of the privacy and security risks.
As per the report, the fake WhatsApp app was created by Asigint, which is part of Italy’s Cantu-based Sio Spa Group. The tech giant believes that hackers at Asigint employed social engineering techniques to dupe a “limited number of users” into downloading the spyware, posing as the official version of WhatsApp. The bad actors could have been looking to remotely gain access to the users’ accounts and devices. The report added that it is planning to send a formal warning to the Sio Spa-controlled firm “to cease any malicious activity”.
La Repubblica reports that Meta claims that spyware does not exploit any inherent vulnerabilities within WhatsApp. Hence, the official WhatsApp app remains safe to use. The company is reportedly urging users in the EU to download the instant messaging app from vetted platforms. The company reportedly said that it is not “experiencing a breach of WhatsApp’s official apps, infrastructure, or encryption”.
Apart from gaining access to the device, the spyware potentially gave unchecked access to a user’s chats with others, as the fake version, unlike the official WhatsApp app, does not support end-to-end encryption, which allows only devices with the encryption keys to read the correspondence between two users. Similarly, it poses a major privacy risk, as it could allow hackers to access private data and credentials on a device.
In 2024, Apple allowed users in 27 EU countries to sideload apps and third-party marketplaces, complying with the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The option to sideload apps on Android devices was already available to users globally. However, the EU, with its DMA, stated that Google and Apple command a monopoly by only offering the Play Store and App Store on Android and iOS devices, respectively.
