Encryption in WhatsApp chat services poses massive problems for investigative agencies and secret services. They rely on the help of specialized companies who are looking for vulnerabilities to access data.
Facebook is defending itself against spying attacks on its services in court for the first time. The online network sued a provider of surveillance software who wanted to gain access to hundreds of smartphones via a WhatsApp security gap that has been closed. In less than two weeks, the Israeli company NSO attacked many devices, Facebook said in the lawsuit filed in California. NSO emphasized that the company generally only offers its services to investigative agencies and secret services.
WhatsApp Update Closes The Security Hole
Facebook had already closed the security gap and made it public. According to the online network, NSO succeeded in spreading malware that enables extensive data access via WhatsApp calls. The vulnerability was found in the WhatsApp apps for the mobile operating systems Android, iOS, Windows Phone. Facebook bases the lawsuit on the fact that WhatsApp’s terms of use had been violated. The chat service taken over by Facebook five years ago has around 1.5 billion users and is also popular in Europe.
The NSO Granted Access To Contact Details
The NSO program installed itself on the devices even if the target persons did not answer the call. It connected to the Israeli company’s servers and granted access to contact details and content of messages on the devices. NSO then shared the captured data with the company’s customers. The encryption used for transmission, which is common among WhatsApp, but the data available on the device in unencrypted form is tapped.
NSO emphasized that encryption, which has now become the standard for messaging services, poses massive challenges for security authorities who should ensure the security of all of us. The truth is that the platforms with strong encryption are often from pedophile networks
