#WHATSAPP FOR MAC MALWARE CODE#

This makes things super easy for a lot of big companies since it allows them to have one source code for both their web applications and native desktop applications.

Though the cross-site scripting (XSS) bug was patched earlier sometime back in Chromium, WhatsApp used an older version of Electron for Chromium.Įxplaining further, Weizman said, “Electron is a cool platform that lets you create ‘native’ applications using standard web features.

WhatsApp relies on it to provide a user interface for its desktop client.

According to the researcher, the heart of the flaw lies in the Chromium browser engine in the application framework Electron.

The JavaScript code attached to a malicious banner could bypass protection mechanisms and access the local file system of the victim.

#WHATSAPP FOR MAC MALWARE WINDOWS#

The vulnerability appeared in the Windows and Mac versions of the app where it manages banners or previews of web links in messages.The desktop platform of WhatsApp has more than 1.5 billion monthly active users. Tracked as CVE-2019-18426, the cross-site scripting flaw could potentially allow an attacker to reach the local file system of user simply by sending a specially crafted message.Hackers could enter through notification messages that appear completely normal to unsuspecting users.Researcher Gal Weizman of PerimeterX found a JavaScript vulnerability in the WhatsApp desktop platform that could allow cybercriminals to infiltrate systems with loaded malware. Researchers have reported a vulnerability in WhatsApp desktop client for iPhones which puts victim’s files-on their computers-at risk. The flaw affected WhatsApp desktop versions prior to when paired with WhatsApp for iPhone versions prior to 2.20.10.The desktop platform of WhatsApp has more than 1.5 billion monthly active users.Donations are not required to use my site or software. (Fair disclosure: I may receive compensation from links to my sites, and, in the form of buttons allowing for donations.

#WHATSAPP FOR MAC MALWARE HOW TO#

Most of them are no good at all, for one reason or another (or, in some cases, pretty much every reason you could conceive of).įor information on how to properly protect yourself from malware and adware, see my Mac Malware Guide.

See:Īs for anti-virus programs, they are generally not needed, and often cause problems. Your firewall has nothing to do with it, and is of no use whatsoever for protecting against malware. I was under the mistaken impression that MacBooks were immune to Viruses, Adware and Malware of all kinds - my Firewall is of course activated.

#WHATSAPP FOR MAC MALWARE INSTALL#

All Mac adware requires explicit user action in order to install it - ie, running an installer.

All known Mac malware is currently effectively extinct, and could not install on your Mac running Yosemite. You may very well have had some other incidental problem as well, such as adware, but it would not have been related to clicking that link. Your Mac did not get infected with a virus that was causing this problem. Thanks for taking the trouble to reply.įrom what you describe, your e-mail account got hacked.

Its easy to be wise after the event, yes I shouldn't have opened it but hindsight is a marvellous thing. Will now research AV products for MAC (is there such a thing, would this have helped?) I don't want to be caught out again. Apparently WhatsApp is a messaging application for mobile phones, it may have been created with this familiar name in mind. I got Em messages with spurious text from my own mailbox (e.g.Hello how are you') and then in a short while frantic E mails from many of my contacts (not all, Malware filters work sometimes!!) from x1 of my x4 mailbox addresses and then started having problems with WiFi which showed as 'No' IP address' so no Internet wireless connection (Thunderbolt connection OK). When I opened the WhatsApp link absolutely nothing happened at the time, so was no question of opening whatever was down loaded. Your sentence 'There is no way.' is open to question as I definitely did NOT have any problem before AND spam Emails were generated from my Macbook. Sorry I'm slow getting back to you, but been without MAC Mailboxes until now.The App/Virus whatever it was has (I hope) now gone after a 90minute session with an Apple Advisor who was very helpful.

Whatsapp for mac malware