Can WhatsApp be Hacked?

This post is not about ‘How to Hack WhatsApp Account’ or how to use some WhatsApp Hacking tool to intrude someone else privacy. But, this article is about how WhatsApp can be hacked and what can we do to secure it.

So please be a mature reader and don’t ask me ‘how to hack your boyfriend/girlfriend WhatsApp account. (Yes, I do get emails like that). My intention is to create awareness so that you can prevent your WhatsApp from getting hacked. Now that being said let’s get started.

Is it really possible to hack WhatsApp

Well theoretically Yes, There is nothing like 100% security in the world. Almost any system can be hacked, any security can be breached and any encryptions can be cracked. When we say how secure is this system, it actually means is —

How much time and resources will it take to hack the system?

So what ‘WhatsApp’s security team’ do is, they increase the level of security to an extent, that hacker has to spend a huge amount of resources and time to hack WhatsApp. And trust me, the security is strong enough, to stop any average joe from hacking WhatsApp.

So if you WhatsApp account is compromised, it’s more likely that the suspect has access to your device. Hacking WhatsApp conversation wirelessly is not possible.

There are a few WhatsApp hacks tool like WhatsApp Sniffer or methods like spoofing mac address which claims to Hack Whatsapp conversation. So I decided to test them out and find out if they really work or not.

1. WhatsApp Hack: Read chats from locked WhatsApp

[Update: This workaround do not work after recent WhatsApp update]

If you believe locking your WhatsApp with a password, makes it secure then you are wrong. Even after locking WhatsApp with AppLock, one can read all your chats easily. All they need is access to your device for a minute.

How it’s done?

The logic lies behind this is, WhatsApp takes daily backup of all your conversation, And if you can get the backup, you can read the chat. Now there is 2 way to get the backup.

First by finding the backup file using the file manager and then send it to other device using Bluetooth. But this file is encrypted. But thankfully this can be extracted. How this can be done, is beyond the scope of this article but interested ones can read this thread on Xda developer.

(/sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases/msgstore.db.crypt)

Second, method is my favorite which I accidently discovered while I was testing some other app. By using auto backup apps like backup text for WhatsApp, one can directly email all the WhatsApp chat in plain text.

 

All you need to do is take your friend’s phone, install this app, take a backup, and then send it and once you are done uninstall the app. All this can be done in less than a minute while the WhatsApp is locked with a password. Video demonstration

How to prevent it?

Block the access to file manager and lock the play store and settings as well and make sure you don’t allow installation from unknown source by going to setting > device security.

Related: How to block Adult content on Android 

2. WhatsApp Hack: Read all Messages with WhatsApp Sniffer

This application claims to read all the chats taking place over the same WiFi network.

How does it work?

WhatsApp sniffer was once available on PlayStore but was soon removed after the detection it’s vulnerability to WhatsApp. It uses ARP request to spoof all the messages.

Back then WhatsApp messages were simple plain text, so anyone could read it. But not now, from August 2012 onward WhatsApp has started encrypting its messages.

How to prevent it ?

I often see people asking whether WhatsApp sniffer still works.  I asked the same question on several forums and got the same answer. NO, WhatsApp sniffer no longer works. However,  if someone outside your circle is anxious to use your WiFi then be careful.

3. WhatsApp Hack: Spoof MAC address on android

Many forums have now verified its working.

How does it work?

Every device has a unique mac address and WhatsApp uses it to verify that you are not using WhatsApp on two different devices with same no. So if the hacker is able to spoof mac address than he will be able to see all yourWhatsAppp activity.

How to prevent it?

Unfortunately, there is nothing much you can do. But this WhatsApp hack can’t be performed by a normal user.

It requires rooted phones and deep knowledge of commands, in short, advanced computer skills. So unless you are having some very interesting WhatsApp conversation, no one is going through that much trouble.