According to Italy’s Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata (ANSA), Meta has sent warnings to approximately 200 users who downloaded a fake version of WhatsApp. Here are the details.

According to the news, Meta sent warnings to around 200 iPhone and Android users, the majority of whom are Italian. These users were tricked into installing a malicious fake version of WhatsApp as a result of a social engineering attack.

WhatsApp stated to ANSA:

“Our security team has identified that approximately 200 users, mostly located in Italy, may have downloaded this unofficial and malicious client. We logged them out and warned them about privacy and security risks. […] We believe this is a social engineering attempt targeting a limited number of users. It aimed to convince users to install malware mimicking WhatsApp and was likely done to gain access to their devices.”

WhatsApp also confirmed that it has taken action against the Italian spyware firm Asigint, which is believed to be behind the attack. Asigint is controlled by Sio Spa.

Currently, there are no details regarding the identities of the victims or what data (if any) was accessed. WhatsApp stated that when the malicious application was discovered, users were logged out of their accounts and also received the following warning (via TechCrunch):

Additionally, there is no clear information on how users were tricked into downloading the fake version of WhatsApp. According to La Repubblica, the distribution of the application occurred “not through official channels like the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, but through less regulated third-party channels.”

Since La Repubblica did not specify what these “third-party channels” are, it becomes impossible to determine whether this was based on older techniques of certificate-based installations or on new sideloading possibilities that emerged as a result of DMA.

Finally, WhatsApp emphasized that this is not related to a vulnerability on its platform, but rather based on the use of an unofficial WhatsApp client.

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