WhatsApp said it alerted about 200 users—mostly in Italy—that they were tricked into installing a fake iPhone WhatsApp client infected with spyware the company blames on SIO’s ASIGINT subsidiary. WhatsApp logged out and warned the victims, stressed this was not a WhatsApp vulnerability, and linked the incident to prior spyware campaigns such as Graphite (Paragon Solutions) and Pegasus (NSO Group), while Apple and SIO did not immediately comment. #WhatsApp #SIO #ASIGINT #Graphite #ParagonSolutions #NSOGroup #Pegasus #Apple
Keypoints
- About 200 users—mostly in Italy—were notified after being duped into installing a fake iPhone WhatsApp client infected with spyware.
- WhatsApp attributes the fake app to SIO/ASIGINT and says its security team proactively identified the malicious client.
- WhatsApp emphasized that end-to-end encryption remains intact for users of the official app and that this was not a platform vulnerability.
- The company logged out affected accounts, warned users to remove the unofficial client, and urged downloading the official WhatsApp app.
- The incident mirrors past spyware incidents involving Graphite/Paragon Solutions and NSO Group’s Pegasus, with limited public detail on victims.
Read More: https://therecord.media/whatsapp-warns-users-of-fake-app-used-for-spyware