According to a report by The Next Web, files and messages on WhatsApp were vulnerable to a bug that could be exploited by malicious GIFs.
The publication on Wednesday revealed that the bug, which was discovered by a researcher called “Awakened” allowed hackers to access WhatsApp users information by sending them malicious GIF files.
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The GIFs reportedly exploited the vulnerability, known as a double-free bug, and gave hackers access to information once receivers opened their WhatsApp galleries.
In a statement to The Next Web, however, WhatsApp claimed that it “had no reason to believe” that the bug affected any users.
The company, in fact, noted that malicious GIFs would actually harm the sender and not the receiver.
Meanwhile, the researcher who reported the bug disagrees with WhatsApp and believes that the company “misunderstood” the vulnerability.
Either way, the bug has since been patched in WhatsApp’s 2.19.244 update.
Earlier this year, the Facebook-owned platform was also exposed to spyware that infected phones through voice call.
Feature image: Shereesa Moodley/Memeburn
