Alarm bell for crores of WhatsApp users, government-issued alert.

WhatsApp is the largest instant messaging platform used worldwide. If you use WhatsApp, then there is news of work for you. A big alert has been issued by CERT-In for WhatsApp users.

If you use WhatsApp, then there is news of work for you. The Government of India has issued an alert for crores of WhatsApp users. A very critical bug has been found in this popular instant messaging app owned by Meta. An alert has been issued by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, an agency working under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.

According to CERT-In, people using WhatsApp on a computer or laptop need to be very alert. A high-severity alert has been issued by CERT-In. This alert is especially for those WhatsApp users who login to the messaging app on desktop or laptop.

These users are at great risk

According to the agency, a big bug has been found in WhatsApp's desktop app, due to which hackers can easily access your device and app. Currently, all WhatsApp Desktop versions older than 2.2450.6 are at the highest risk of spoofing attack. Taking advantage of the bug, hackers and scammers can steal personal data as well as hack the account.

Hackers can take advantage

According to CERT-In, there is a technical error in the way files are opened in the desktop version of WhatsApp. The new bug is due to the mismatch between MIME type and file extension. Due to this, there is a problem in opening attachments in WhatsApp and in such a situation, WhatsApp is sometimes unable to recognize some files properly. Taking advantage of this weakness of WhatsApp, hackers can create a dangerous attachment between files. To avoid any kind of fraud, the agency has advised to update the app immediately.

Let us tell you that in the recent past, social media platforms have become a big means for hackers and scammers to cheat people. Many cases of fraud have also come to light in WhatsApp in the recent past. Your slightest negligence can cause a big loss. Therefore, one needs to be very careful while using instant messaging apps. CERT-In advises not to click on any unknown links coming on WhatsApp nor reply to any unknown number.