Technology News: Cybersecurity firm named Traced had apparently come across a potentially disadvantageous loophole that might make stalking easy via online status, with certain applications available on WhatsApp. A list of applications available on Google’s Play Store under the purpose for knowing when contacts are available online, can be misused.
WhatsApp applications on mobile devices on default come with the online status feature that can be used to post content that stays online for 24 hours. Unlike WhatsApp features like Status, Last seen and Read Receipts that can be completely disabled, Online Status cannot be disabled but only be selectively hidden from certain contacts.
And, this is what has been of concern of security. This could simply be exploited by cyber-attackers to monitor others without their consent. Also, certain applications available on Play Store helps users to presume whether two registered numbers in WhatsApp are in conversation with each other.
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These apps though are marketed for a different purpose as to help parents track their children or couples to track each other’s activities on WhatsApp, can be very easily misused to stalk individuals. But in web, apps are openly marketed as solutions to track each other on WhatsApp accounts.
Luckily all these trackers can be used to know only when a user comes online and cannot be used further to learn the contents of users’ messages online. Similarly last week, WhatsApp identified that attackers can dismiss accounts remotely by just entering users’ numbers.
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