iPhone owners warned to factory reset devices after security experts find serious WhatsApp flaw
After hackers used a rare WhatsApp flaw to break into iPhones, users are being urged to update both their app and iOS.
iPhone owners who rely on WhatsApp are being urged to update their apps after security researchers found hackers using rare zero-click exploits to target Apple devices. Several tech firms quickly moved to patch the flaws but the warning is clear: check your updates, and for a small number of targeted users, a full factory reset may be the safest option.
What happened to WhatsApp on iOS?
The discovery centers on a pair of bugs - one inside WhatsApp itself, another inside Apple’s own software. Attackers chained these weaknesses together to break into iPhones and Macs and stole messages and sensitive data. What makes this case especially unsettling is that victims didn’t have to click any links or even open a suspicious message. The phone could be compromised simply by receiving a hidden, specially crafted message.
Meta, which owns WhatsApp, confirmed the security issue and said less than 200 people were directly notified about being at risk, mostly journalists, activists, or public figures who often face these kinds of threats. The company’s advice for those users wasn’t just to update, but to wipe their devices back to factory settings, then install the latest fixes before reinstalling WhatsApp. The aim, security experts say, is to make absolutely sure no advanced spyware is left on the device.
Apple’s own emergency update, released just days ago, addresses a related flaw in the system that handles images. Both companies are telling everyday users to keep their apps and operating systems fully up to date, something that blocks this threat and helps stay ahead of similar weaknesses. While the attack campaign was sophisticated, the likelihood of regular users being targeted remains very low. However, the popularity of services like WhatsApp makes them valuable targets for hackers, and staying alert is always best practice.
{{/usCountry}}Apple’s own emergency update, released just days ago, addresses a related flaw in the system that handles images. Both companies are telling everyday users to keep their apps and operating systems fully up to date, something that blocks this threat and helps stay ahead of similar weaknesses. While the attack campaign was sophisticated, the likelihood of regular users being targeted remains very low. However, the popularity of services like WhatsApp makes them valuable targets for hackers, and staying alert is always best practice.
{{/usCountry}}For now:
- Open the App Store and check for WhatsApp updates.
- Install the latest iOS and security patches.
- If you were contacted directly by WhatsApp about a threat, follow the reset instructions in their message - don’t ignore it.
For now:
- Open the App Store and check for WhatsApp updates.
- Install the latest iOS and security patches.
- If you were contacted directly by WhatsApp about a threat, follow the reset instructions in their message - don’t ignore it.
It’s worth remembering that even the most secure platforms can have weak moments. Keeping your phone up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your private data.
{{/usCountry}}It’s worth remembering that even the most secure platforms can have weak moments. Keeping your phone up to date is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect your private data.
{{/usCountry}}