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Whatsapp May Not Be As Private As Some Of Us Thought

iHammmy
By iHammmy
in Tech News
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Your Whatsapp may not be as private as you think.


Dutch developer Maikel Zweerink has released a software kit which allows anybody, even people who don't have Whatsapp, to see whether users are online.


The software can rip through even the most strict privacy settings and allow anybody to see the status, profile picture or away message of the users.


The new app essentially a proof-of-concept web-based tool that allows an attacker to track every move of any WhatsApp user.


54d9efc2853b5.JPG


Zweerink says his software, which he calls WhatsSpy Public, is not supposed to be harmful but only to prove the concept of Whatsapp is 'broken in terms of privacy' - basically that it just illustrates the problem.


The 'hack' is available for people who have a phone number not registered with a Whatsapp account - allowing them to spy on people with the messaging app.


Facebook-owned Whatsapp have yet to respond to requests for a comment on the potential for hacks.


Is another major hacking scandal on the way? Have your say in the comments!


It seems impossible until it's done.

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did we think its private?

Some people did

It seems impossible until it's done.

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Really?

 

 

my sister does.

hopefully not anybody on these forums though.

Yeah  lol

It seems impossible until it's done.

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Yeah  lol

I don't think many people from the forums thought it was.

 

At least I have something to redirect people to when I tell them it isn't safe, ty!

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Whisper push SMS + steam messaging I think I'm fine, I haven't used whatsapp in AGES. Did really like it either. 

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Whisper push SMS + steam messaging I think I'm fine, I haven't used whatsapp in AGES. Did really like it either. 

I use whats app alot, but I don't really care if people read my messages as they're nothing bad :P

It seems impossible until it's done.

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I use WhatsApp with EVERYONE. My messages app has probably only been opened when I receive text messages from my service provider. Will this post change how I look at WhatsApp? Nope.

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It's not like I will share those NASA secrets with my friends, don't care about that really.

I don't always have time to study, but when I do, I don't.

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It's not like I will share those NASA secrets with my friends, don't care about that really.

NUDEZ M8 NUDEZ Nvm I've said too much  :wub:

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NUDEZ M8 NUDEZ Nvm I've said too much  :wub:

We all look the same m80

I don't always have time to study, but when I do, I don't.

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Lol, I don't see why anyone would use Watsapp.

 

Maybe when it first came out it was a viable messaging service, but not as soon as FaceBook Bought it.

 

Rule number one of internet privacy, DON'T use anything that facebook owns. (Sorry Occulus fanboys, that means Occulus too)

The first step to insanity is believing in your sanity.

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Lol, I don't see why anyone would use Watsapp.

 

Maybe when it first came out it was a viable messaging service, but not as soon as FaceBook Bought it.

 

Rule number one of internet privacy, DON'T use anything that facebook owns. (Sorry Occulus fanboys, that means Occulus too)

I have nothing wrong with facebook either...

 

I'm not trying to hide anything from anyone, so I dont care what they look at

It seems impossible until it's done.

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We all look the same m80

d8f7a0268d0f7be02b64a2f0d343386b.png

Main Rig

 

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Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 @3.3GHz | Intel DZ68BC | Corsair Dominator Platinum 2x4GB 1866MHz | Kingston HyperX 3k 240GB | MSI GeForce GTX 680 | Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey | Seasonic 520W 80+ Platinum Fanless

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Phone

 

iPhone XS Max 512GB Gold

 

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I always assumed it wasn't....

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no, this cant be. i really expected this to be private!

whats next, facebook isnt private?

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I have nothing wrong with facebook either...

 

I'm not trying to hide anything from anyone, so I dont care what they look at

It's not really that you want to hide anything, its more about the fact they document everything you do, sell it to a third party and inject adds. As well, as essentially making an Autobiography of you and everything you ever say. Nothing you say is deleted, and it is a massive horde of data.

 

I am against the NSA hoarding data, and anyone else for that matter, even if it is a seemingly "harmless" private company.

 

I am not doing anything that I could care less if other people knew, but I do care if people know without my permission, my every move and my every statement.

The first step to insanity is believing in your sanity.

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I hope they fix that, here it's quite used.

 

I don't relly have a problem, I have just a few people on it and barely use it.

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The thing that people fail to realize is that nothing is private. Every action that you take while online (and even offline) leaves a digital footprint that can be accessed by those motivated enough to do so. The illusion of privacy is the only reason that many of these 'private' services get so popular. 

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Not hard to do, considering the API has many ways of telling if the user receives and/or reads messages, the developer takes advantage of this by pinging constantly on users. Just like a tick.

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Shortlist requirements:

  • Secondary Whatsapp account (phonenumber that doesn't actively uses Whatsapp)
  • Rooted Android phone OR Jailbroken iPhone OR PHP knowledge
  • Server/RPi that runs 24/7
  • Nginx or Apache with PHP with PDO (php5-pgsql installed) (you can't host on simple webhoster, you need bash)
  • Postgresql

If your grave doesn't say "rest in peace" on it You are automatically drafted into the skeleton war.

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I have nothing to hide and I don't even use my cell phone that much.

Love cats and Linus. Check out linuscattips-fan-club. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Z9QDVn and Asus ROG Swift. I love anime as well. Check out Heaven Society heaven-society. My own personal giveaway thread http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/387856-evga-geforce-gtx-970-giveaway-presented-by-grimneo/.

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