WhatsApp bug let hackers hijack accounts with a video call, claim reports
LONDON: A bug in Facebook's WhatsApp messaging service allowed hackers to take over users' applications when they answered an incoming video call, technology websites ZDnet and The Register reported on Wednesday.
The vulnerability, which affected WhatsApp applications on Apple and Android smartphones, was discovered in late August and was fixed by Facebook in early October, according to a technical disclosure report posted online.
Facebook did not respond to requests for immediate comment. It is unclear whether the bug was ever used in an attack before it was fixed.
"This is a big deal," Travis Ormandy, a researcher at Google Project Zero which discovered the bug, said on Twitter.
"Just ++answering a call from an attacker could completely compromise WhatsApp." Facebook has suffered a string of security-related problems in the last year.
The company last week disclosed its worst-ever security breach affecting nearly 50 million accounts.
Courtesy: timesofindia
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Mangaluru: Main accused believed Suhas Shetty posed threat to him, says Police Commissioner
Mangaluru: Mangaluru Police have arrested eight individuals in connection with the murder of rowdy-sheeter Suhas Shetty, who was killed on Thursday night in the jurisdiction of the Bajpe police station.
The arrested have been identified as Abdul Safwan, Niaz, Mohammad Muzamil, Khalandar Shafi, Ranjit, Nagaraj, Mohammad Rizwan, and Adil Mehroof.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, addressing the media, said that ten individuals have been identified so far in the case and eight have been taken into custody. He revealed that Abdul Safwan is the main accused in the case.
According to the police, Safwan had been attacked by a gang in 2023 and feared that Suhas Shetty’s group would attempt to kill him. Believing his life to be in danger, Safwan allegedly planned the murder of Suhas Shetty.
In this context, Safwan contacted Adil Mehroof, the brother of Fazil, who was murdered in 2022. Police said that Adil agreed to help and promised a payment of Rs 5 lakh for the murder, of which Rs 3 lakh was paid in advance.
Commissioner Agrawal further stated that Niaz, another accused, involved his acquaintances Nagaraj and Ranjit in the plot. The group closely monitored Suhas Shetty’s movements before carrying out the murder on May 1, he added.
The investigation is still ongoing and further arrests are likely in the coming days, police said.
