WhatsApp flaws can allow hackers to alter messages

Even as rumours on WhatsApp have been linked to dozens of deaths in India, the Facebook-owned messaging app is yet to address a security flaw pointed out a year ago by Check Point, an Israeli security software firm.

According to security researchers, this vulnerability could be exploited in three ways, all of which involve social engineering tactics to fool end-users.

First, a bad actor could 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. Second, he/she could alter the text of someone else’s reply, essentially putting words in their mouth.