With more than 1.5 billion users active each month WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world.
A constant stream of updates adds bug fixes that make the app even better and new features arrive from time to time. In some cases, bugs may find their way to a stable release and WhatsApp had its fair share of issues. A new security bug has been found, and iOS users are facing significant risks.
WhatsApp has recently released a new security feature which allows iOS users to secure the app by using Face ID or Touch ID. The feature seemed to be great at first but a loophole was recently discovered, and the information was published on a popular platform.
According to the source, the bug will only happen if the user opts to change the screen lock timeout from Immediately to anything else. The feature can be accessed by opening the app and going to Settings/Account/Privacy/Screen Lock. The biometric authentication can be easily bypassed by using the AirDrop feature.
WhatsApp is currently working on solving the issues and users are encouraged to switch the screen lock interval back to Immediately.
It is well-known that the platform attracts a lot of malicious entities which aim to scam users. In January a high-ranking scam took over the accounts of several WhatsApp users and used them to obtain money and gift cards. The victims were fooled by a fake message that asked them to provide their account verification code.
The stolen accounts were used to obtain more WhatsApp accounts and convince victims to transfer money or send codes that could be used to purchase digital items. In most cases, those goods are sold again at lower prices on third-party apps.
Users are advised to immediately delete any message that seems to be unusual and use a different communication method to contact the sender and verify that their account has not been compromised.
Henry Lares is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including Tech Crunch and the Huffington Post. In regards to academics, Henry earned an engineering degree from Apex Technical School. Henry has a passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.
