A new Whatsapp bug that allows hackers to crash the WhatsApp by sending a single destructive group chat message for all the group members and delete all the group’s chat history.
Security researchers from Checkpoint discovered the bug buy manipulating the WhatsApp protocol. The bug is critical as it crashes WhatsApp on multiple phones in a shared group.
GBHackers recently reported a critical security bug that was discovered in both Android/iOS WhatsApp version Let hackers sending a specially crafted MP4 file to WhatsApp user and trigger the stack-based buffer overflow to perform remote code execution and DoS Attack.
This is another critical bug that WhatApp users need to seriously concern about to apply the patch and protect from the malicious attackers to exploit the vulnerability.
WhatsApp Crash Bug
The WhatsApp crash bug resides in the XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) communication protocol that used to handle the message delivery system.
Researchers developed a Burp Suite WhatsApp Manipulation Tool through which they were able to obtain the private, public keys, and the “secret” parameter by manipulating WhatsApp protocol.
Researchers from Checkpoint stated, “We should now be able to start decrypting and modifying messages in a conversation where we participate. Now that we have everything set up correctly, we can start intercepting our messages. Once a message is intercepted we can decrypt it by using the extension.”
It was noted that when a user sends the WhatsApp group message, the application will check the parameter of the participant who sends the message by using the Burp Suite WhatsApp Manipulation Tool extension. With this Process, researchers modified the sender’s phone number to a non-digit character.
By sending this crafted message the WhatsApp will get crash in every group member’s phone, and it continues to crash even if you re-open. Users will not able to return to the group and all the group history gets removed.
The only solution to solve the issue is that the user needs to uninstall the Whatsapp and to remove the group with contains the malicious payload. Here is the PoC video.
The bug was reported by Check Point Research in August 2019 and reported to WhatsApp, the bug was fixed with version 2.19.246 and above.
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