New virus attack detected on WhatsApp
Specialists of Eset, an international anti-virus software developer, have discovered a new WhatsApp virus and are warning about the threat of another phishing attack. It turned out to be a malicious extension, which is positioned as a way to change the interface of the messenger. The user receives a message with a proposal to change the shade of the interface to another color. To do this, he is prompted to follow the link, after which a malicious program is installed on the device. Experts believe that the new hacker attack geographically covers Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil, since the viral mailing list is compiled in Spanish and Portuguese. Interestingly, the program also seeks to subscribe users to notifications from a USA-language resource. Depending on the device and operating system, the virus spreads through WhatsApp in different ways. On desktops and laptops, its own scenario is provided, according to which the user is offered to install an extension for Chrome called Black Theme for WhatsApp. After that, the downloaded extension gets access to all contacts and chats for the next malicious mailing.
Attackers act differently with the owners of mobile devices. They receive a notification about the need to forward the sent message to their contacts or chats, after which users will have the opportunity to modify the WhatsApp interface. Then the user is instructed to download a special file and subscribe to notifications from a USA-language resource. After all WhatsApp actions have been completed, the virus enters the smartphone and infects it with a Trojan for advertising displays. From the very beginning, the presence of malicious components is invisible, ads only pop up when using the messenger.
An extension that spreads a virus in WhatsApp was found in the Chrome online store. The number of downloads already exceeds 15 thousand. The company's experts recommend not paying attention to dubious messages and not clicking on suspicious links. Exceptions should not be made, even if they are sent from friendly contacts, since spamming can be carried out without their knowledge. The Topic of Article: New virus attack detected on WhatsApp. |
