WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app that was actually government spyware

WhatsApp says it has notified astir 200 users who were tricked into installing a malicious fake mentation of the chat app that contained authorities spyware. 

WhatsApp accused Italian spyware shaper SIO of creating a fake mentation of its messaging app for iPhones, according to an announcement the institution shared with TechCrunch.  

“Our information squad proactively identified astir 200 users chiefly successful Italy who we judge whitethorn person downloaded this malicious unofficial client,” WhatsApp said successful its statement. “We person logged them out, alerted to the risks to their privateness and information that travel with downloading fake unofficial clients, and encouraged them to region it and download the authoritative WhatsApp app.”

WhatsApp spokesperson Margarita Franklin told TechCrunch that, astatine this point, the institution cannot stock much accusation astir the users it notified, specified arsenic whether they were journalists oregon members of civilian society. 

“Our precedence has been protecting the users who whitethorn person been tricked into downloading this fake iOS app,” said Franklin. 

In its announcement, WhatsApp besides said it plans to “send a ceremonial ineligible request to halt immoderate specified malicious enactment to this spyware firm.”

A screenshot of the notification Whatsapp sent to users informing them to download the authoritative app. (image: whatsapp)

Italian paper La Repubblica and quality bureau ANSA archetypal reported the news.

Last year, TechCrunch revealed that SIO was down a bid of malicious Android apps that contained its spyware, including fake versions of WhatsApp, arsenic good arsenic fake lawsuit enactment tools for cellphone providers. SIO’s spyware was identified with the sanction Spyrtacus, a connection that appeared successful the spyware’s code.

Using fake apps against targets of surveillance is a well-established maneuver utilized by authorities successful Italy, who often get collaboration from cellphone providers, who nonstop phishing links to their customers connected behalf of instrumentality enforcement.

SIO develops authorities spyware done its subsidiary ASIGINT. 

Apple and SIO did not respond to a petition for comment. 

WhatsApp’s latest announcement comes a twelvemonth aft the institution alerted astir 90 users that they had been targeted with spyware made by the U.S.-Israeli surveillance tech shaper Paragon Solutions. WhatsApp sent those notifications to journalists and pro-immigration activists, among others, sparking a wide-ranging ungraded crossed Italy. 

In response, Paragon chopped ties with Italy’s spy agencies, which were its customers.

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