WhatsApp users urged to change one setting after hacking bug

WhatsApp users are being urged to change their settings after hackers were able to access personal data.

A flaw was discovered by Google’s Project Zero team which allowed people to send malicious files directly to phones.

The hackers were setting up fake group chats and then inviting random users to join.

If the invitation was accepted, the infected files were downloaded without anyone realising.

The files were then used maliciously to access personal data from people’s devices.

Now users have been told to disable automatic downloads to keep themselves protected.

Although WhatAspp had pushed out a fix to block new infections, it is unclear how many people were affected by the hack.

But turning off automatic downloads will prevent it happening in the future, Malwarebytes said.

This means no pictures, files, video or any other type of media will be automatically downloaded.

To turn it off, open WhatApp and tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.

Click settings, head to storage and data and click media auto-download.

Uncheck all media types, and then press OK.

What is the bug?

The bug makes people’s computers vulnerable to ‘spoofing’, which involves cyber crooks disguising their malware as an attached image file.

The documents allow the malware slip into the device, letting hackers to execute code – a script tells gadgets what to do.

The attack, called arbitrary code execution, uses a dodgy program to rip open a device’s backdoor so scammers can steal passwords, turn off security protections and even seize control of the device.

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