A cybersecurity researcher has looked into a new practice: hacking WhatsApp accounts overnight.
Hackers often take advantage of the inattention or disbelief of some people browsing the Internet. Clicking on a link that contains a virus, sharing personal data on a fake site, responding to a fake contest, these are all actions that can cause serious problems. However, turning off your phone or putting it on airplane mode does not protect you from any hacking attempts either.
On Twitter, a cybersecurity researcher recently alerted to the hacking of WhatsApp accounts overnight. In reality, it is precisely the fact that the phone is cut off that allows the hacking of WhatsApp accounts.
First, the hacker will try to connect to the WhatsApp account via the person’s phone number. This method involves sending a verification code to the potential victim’s phone. The hacker will then try to connect once more and this time will ask for a verification code by call. Since the individual’s phone is switched off or in airplane mode, this verification code sent by WhatsApp will be stored in the voicemail.
And as surprising as it may seem, voicemail hacking is sometimes not very complicated. In some countries, the code to access it is composed by default of the last four digits of the telephone number. By remotely accessing the voicemail, the hacker can retrieve the code sent by WhatsApp and access the victim’s account. Subsequently, he will have the possibility of modifying the password of the WhatsApp account, contacting the various contacts for fraudulent purposes, spreading a virus or malware, etc.
To avoid this type of inconvenience, the cybersecurity researcher advises two things. First, it is best to change the voicemail access code if it is not sure. Secondly, the activation of the two-step identification verification offered by WhatsApp should be preferably activated. This implies more constraints to connect, but also more security.
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