Jeff Bezos’ phone hack shows no device is secure

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos’ phone was targeted in May 2018 by a malware triggered though a malicious video file sent to him on WhatsApp by crown prince of Saudi Arabia, The Guardian reported, citing unidentified people. Mint probes how smartphones are hacked.

How have attackers exploited WhatsApp?

A large amount of data was exfiltrated from Bezos’s phone within hours of the attack, the report said. Targeting users by sending a video message or making a call was common in 2019. The Pegasus spyware attack, which targeted 1,400 people globally, was executed via a WhatsApp call. Attackers gained real-time access to a phone’s camera, microphone, storage and location.