Software Bug Gives Spyware Free Rein With a Single WhatsApp Call. Many users of Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging software were scrambling to patch the program, in response to news of a flaw that allowed spyware to be installed on mobile phones running Android and iOS.

“This new type of attack is deeply worrying and shows how even the most trusted mobile apps and platforms can be vulnerable,” said Mike Campin, vice president of engineering at Wandera, a mobile security provider based in San Francisco.

“While this attack is based on a previously identified exploit known as Pegasus, the fact that it has been repackaged into a form that can be delivered via a simple WhatsApp call has shocked many,” he continued.

WhatsApp, which is used by 1.5 billion people worldwide, typically is not deployed as an official corporate messaging application, Campin noted, but it is used widely internationally, both on employees’ personal devices and on corporate-issued devices.

That can be problematic for organizations, he said, because once exploited via this new attack, the attacker has complete control and visibility of all data on the phone.