WhatsApp has notified approximately 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of the app that contained Italian government-grade spyware. The malicious app was designed to compromise user devices and collect sensitive information. This incident highlights ongoing threats from sophisticated state-sponsored surveillance tools targeting messaging platforms.
Background
WhatsApp has faced multiple state-sponsored spyware attacks in recent years, including the 2019 Pegasus incident where Israeli NSO Group spyware targeted journalists and activists through WhatsApp vulnerabilities.
- Source
- TechCrunch
- Published
- Apr 2, 2026 at 12:34 AM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10