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WhatsApp has been facing major criticism for fake news around the world and now the messaging app has again in the news as a nationwide security alert has been issued by the Israel National Cyber Security Authority warning users citing a new method of hijacking WhatsApp accounts.
Israeli Prime Minister’s Office has accepted of receiving several reports of private WhatsApp accounts being hacked.
As per reports, hackers are using users voicemail systems, according to a report published in ZDNet confirmed this method and revealed that users with voicemail accounts with default passwords are at risk.
Hackers try to change the number on new WhatsApp installation on their own phone. After this WhatsApp sends one-time security code via SMS to victims phone. This alerts the legitimate user about the attack but hackers do this process when they realise that victims are asleep.
Several failed SMS validation leads to result in WhatsAppprompting the user to go for “voice verification”. After which WhatsApp calls the legitimate user and speaks the one-time password.
So this one-time password lands up in voicemail if the victim does not answer.
Since victim had a default password now the attacker can access the victim’s voicemail account and get the one-time code to hack the WhatsApp account.
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whatsapp news