meta
New WhatsApp lockdown feature protects high-risk users from hackers
Meta has started rolling out a new WhatsApp lockdown-style security feature designed to protect journalists, public figures, and other high-risk individuals from sophisticated threats, including spyware attacks. Known as “Strict Account Settings,” this new feature builds on already existing end-to-end encryption by adding extreme safeguards for users who require heightened protection beyond standard security measures. […]
WhatsApp adds passwordless chat backups on iOS and Android
WhatsApp is rolling out passkey-encrypted backups for iOS and Android devices, enabling users to encrypt their chat history using their fingerprint, face, or a screen lock code. Passkeys are a passwordless authentication method that allows users to sign in using biometrics (such as face recognition or fingerprint), PINs, or security patterns instead of traditional passwords. […]
Meta launches new anti-scam tools for WhatsApp and Messenger
Meta has announced new tools to help WhatsApp and Messenger users protect themselves from potential scams and secure their accounts. On Messenger, the company has started testing more advanced scam-detection for suspicious chats that will warn users when a new contact sends a potentially scammy message, giving them the option to send recent messages for AI scam […]
WhatsApp adds message translation to iPhone and Android apps
WhatsApp has started rolling out a new translation feature that enables Android and iPhone users to translate messages in chats, groups, and channel updates. While iOS users can only use it to translate manually after tapping ‘Translate,’ Android users will also be able to enable automatic translation, allowing all messages in a chat thread to […]
Samsung patches actively exploited zero-day reported by WhatsApp
Samsung has patched a remote code execution vulnerability that was exploited in zero-day attacks targeting its Android devices. Tracked as CVE-2025-21043, this critical security flaw affects Samsung devices running Android 13 or later and was reported by the security teams of Meta and WhatsApp on August 13. As Samsung explains in a recently updated advisory, this […]
Brokewell Android malware delivered through fake TradingView ads
Cybercriminals are abusing Meta’s advertising platforms with fake offers of a free TradingView Premium app that spreads the Brokewell malware for Android. The campaign targets cryptocurrency assets and has been running since at least July 22nd through an estimated 75 localized ads. Brokewell has been around since early 2024 and features a broad set of capabilities that […]
WhatsApp adds new security feature to protect against scams
WhatsApp is introducing a new security feature that will help users spot potential scams when they are being added to a group chat by someone not in their contact list. This feature displays a “safety overview” context card that includes information about the group’s creation date, the number of members, potential scam attempts, and instructions […]
Pwn2Own hacking contest pays $1 million for WhatsApp exploit
The Zero Day Initiative is offering a $1 million reward to security researchers who will demonstrate a zero-click WhatsApp exploit at its upcoming Pwn2Own Ireland 2025 hacking contest. The record bounty targets zero-click security flaws that allow code execution without user interaction on the messaging platform used by more than three billion people worldwide. Meta, […]
Instagram ‘BMO’ ads use AI deepfakes to scam banking customers
Instagram ads impersonating financial institutions like Bank of Montreal (BMO) and EQ Bank (Equitable Bank) are being used to target Canadian consumers with phishing scams and investment fraud. Some ads use AI-powered deepfake videos in an attempt to collect your personal information, while others use official branding to drive traffic outside of the platform to lookalike illicit […]
NSO Group fined $167M for spyware attacks on 1,400 WhatsApp users
A U.S. federal jury has ordered Israeli spyware vendor NSO Group to pay WhatsApp $167,254,000 in punitive damages and $444,719 in compensatory damages for a 2019 campaign that targeted 1,400 users of the communication app. The verdict is considered a landmark case for being the first time a spyware vendor is held accountable in court, […]