
WhatsApp Bug alert! Your phone number could be available on Google search
New Delhi: In what could pose a threat to your privacy, a new bug has been discovered in WhatsApp that makes your phone number discoverable on Google search.
A report, quoting a research said that the feature called ‘Click to Chat’ reportedly puts mobile numbers at risk.
Several websites use the Click to Chat facility to start a WhatsApp chat session with those visiting the website. The website and the site visitor can interact without having the need to save the WhatsApp number. It simply asks you to scan through a QR code image created via third-party services.
The users’ phone numbers is visible in plain text in the URL — https://wa.me/<phone_number> — that are consequently being used by scammers put together a list of exposed phone numbers.
The even severe threat on your privacy is that not only your number is searchable, the scammers who get hold of your number can actually do reverse-image search using your profile photo to find your other social media accounts.
In November 2019, a weird bug had surfaced that triggered snooping concerns via an MP4 file. If someone sent you an MP4 file on WhatsApp, guard against downloading it as hackers may use a critical vulnerability in the Facebook-owned app to execute snooping attack on both Android and iOS devices.
The specially crafted MP4 file triggers the remote code execution (RCE) and denial of service (DoS) cyber attack.
About Post Author
The India Wire Team
Related
More Stories
Ransomware attacks amid Covid emergency can be disastrous for healthcare providers
Key Steps for Healthcare Providers to Combat Ransomware Globally, ransomware attacks have been one of the biggest threats to cybersecurity,...
Women’s Week Special!Reetu Jain’s OMOTEC brings STREAM for students .
Mumbai based On My Own Technology (OMOTEC) was formed in 2016 by Reetu Jain and her co-founder - Shekhar Jain. It...
New rules to regulate social media and OTT draw the lines between Big Tech and government.
On Thursday, the government unveiled the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 that seek to...
Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric car unveiled, travels up to 430 km on a single charge
South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor on Tuesday unveiled the IONIQ 5, the first model embedded with its own electric...
Earth receives first-ever audio from Mars, NASA takes a leap in human history
NASA has released the first high-quality video of a spacecraft landing on Mars, a three-minute trailer showing the enormous orange...
Industry Cloud: The Growing Cloud Trend to Watch Out for in 2021
By Shrikant Navelkar, Director, Clover Infotech Cloud computing has emerged as the biggest enabler for the world economy, businesses and remote...
Average Rating