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Android version of WhatsApp lets hackers read your messages

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By Alan Friedman

Published: Mar 12, 2014, 2:47 PM

Android Apps

Android version of WhatsApp lets hackers read your messages

Those using the Android version of WhatsApp might feel a bit violated. A flaw in the way that conversations are stored and encrypted allows hackers to use another app to read your messages. This flaw was discovered by Bas Bosschert, security expert and CTO at DoubleThink, and is still there despite an update on Tuesday to version 2.11.186.

WhatsApp keeps your conversations stored on a microSD card. If you have allowed other apps to access your microSD card, past conversations can be accessed. This is not just a problem with WhatsApp, but is something that afflicts other Android apps as well. And despite WhatsApp's encryption process, a savvy hacker can still crack the code.

While WhatsApp uses the microSD slot to capture conversations, it doesn't have to save them in this manner. If WhatsApp can change the way it stores conversations, they could be made more secure. Until then, it is just another security issue to worry about.

source: BasBosschert via RedmondPie

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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