WhatsApp user data leaked to Google
News Technologies / / December 29, 2020
Information Security Specialist Athul Jayaram discoveredthat a Google search can find many phone numbers and even part of the correspondence of WhatsApp users. This data is leaked by using the "Click to Chat" function, which allows you to start a chat with a person whose number is not saved in your phone's address book.
The function is based on QR codes and uses a URL shortening system via https://wa.me/
which, in turn, does not use encryption to hide the user's phone number in its link. As a result, it can be indexed and shown in Google search results. Thus, not only the phone number of the user invited to the chat, but even the text of the sent message can leak into the Network.
According to the specialist, WhatsApp management does not consider such a leak to be a problem, and even less so as a threat to the safety of users. In addition, when communicating with contacts stored in the device's memory, nothing gets to the Network. In other words, the problem is relevant only for those who use Direct Communication.
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