WhatsApp says fake app linked to Italian firm exposed about 200 users to spyware
The Facts
- WhatsApp said around 200 users were identified as having potentially downloaded a malicious unofficial version of the app.
- WhatsApp said most of the affected users were in Italy.
- WhatsApp attributed the campaign to ASIGINT, a subsidiary of the Italian company SIO.
- According to WhatsApp, the operation used deception or social engineering to get a limited number of targets to install software that impersonated WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp said it logged out affected users and alerted them to privacy and security risks tied to the fake app.
- Multiple reports describe SIO as an Italy-based surveillance or spyware company, and ASIGINT as part of that group.
- Reports said the fake app was designed to spy on targets or gain access to their devices.
- WhatsApp said the incident involved a fake client rather than a vulnerability in the official WhatsApp app.
Context
What did WhatsApp say happened?
WhatsApp said attackers used a counterfeit version of its app to trick a limited number of people into installing malicious software. The company described the campaign as highly targeted and based on deception rather than a compromise of the official app Reuters,ANSA.it,QuotidianoNet.
Who does WhatsApp say was behind the campaign?
WhatsApp said the operation was carried out by ASIGINT, which multiple reports identify as a subsidiary of the Italian company SIO Reuters,Investing.com,La Repubblica.
What has WhatsApp done in response?
The company said it identified the affected users, logged them out, warned them about privacy and security risks, and encouraged them to remove the fake client and install the official WhatsApp app TimesNow,TechCrunch,Rai news.
The receipts — all 69 sources
Wire services (2)
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