WhatsApp hack warning – newly discovered exploit lets hackers access your group chats

WHATSAPP users are being warned of a newly-discovered attack that lets hackers infiltrate your private messages and group chats.

Coupled with other tricks, the flaw could allow scammers to impersonate you and even spread fake messages to your mates on the Facebook-owned chat app.

The exploit, spotted by Check Point Research's cyber-security buffs, is made possible by vulnerabilities between WhatsApp for mobile and WhatsApp for the web (which users have to sync to send messages on their desktop).

According to CheckPoint, cyber-criminals can then use the following shady tactics to manipulate your messages:

Use the ‘quote’ feature in a group conversation to change the identity of the sender, even if that person is not a member of the group.
Alter the text of someone else’s reply, essentially putting words in their mouth.

Send a private message to another group participant that is disguised as a public message for all, so when the targeted individual responds, it’s visible to everyone in the conversation.

The convoluted attack method will probably look like gobbledegook to general users, but it essentially requires a hacker inserting himself or herself between the app's encrypted traffic.

You can read a breakdown of the technical details here, though you may need a cyber wiz to translate it for you.

And the above video shows spoof messages being shared.

Check Point says it notified WhatsApp of the issues. In response, the company "acknowledged" the flaws, explaining that they're part of the platform's "design framework" but said it's open to further discussion.

We reached out to WhatsApp to find out what it's doing about the cyber-threat and will update this article with its response.

"We believe these vulnerabilities to be of the utmost importance and require attention," said Check Point Research.

Fake news has spread from Facebook on to WhatsApp, resulting in deadly real-life consequences abroad.

Misinformation circulated through the app in India recently led to a spate of lynchings, with the platform introducing new features and rewards to clampdown on the bogus messages.

In a recent blog post, WhatsApp wrote: "WhatsApp cares deeply about your safety.

"We encourage you to think before sharing messages that were forwarded.

"As a reminder, you can report spam or block a contact in one tap and can always reach out to WhatsApp directly for help."

Do you reckon you can spot hoax messages on WhatsApp when you see them? Or does WhatsApp need to do a better job of cracking down on fake news in the app? Let us know in the comments!