Every message sent via WhatsApp is said to be intercepted and can be read due to the bug that is on the app. This bug or what they call as attackers can generally go through the app's encryption system.
The bug becomes apparent due to the app's way of encrypting the messages that are transmitted by its service. A cryptography and security expert from the University of California named Thomas Boelter is the one who found out that eavesdropping is not impossible most especially when reissuing encryption keys.
The expert also addressed the hole to the WhatsApp possessor Facebook in April 2016 and was told that it was aware of the condition as it is an expected behavior and clearly stated that it was not doing any part on a repair. Privacy and security were WhatsApp's primary selling point. It has become the tool that is used by diplomats, dissidents, and activist for communication.
According to privacy campaigners, the problem with the bug is a huge threat to the freedom of speech as it could be used by any agencies of law enforcement or the government to spy or invade the privacy of the people who were communicating securely. Mr. Boelter also added that whenever the government asked or ordered WhatsApp to open its records of messaging, it can definitely grant an access due to the change in keys. One of the common reasons it happens is the switching of phones and reinstalling WhatsApp. With the increasing population and fast growing technology, people are frequently changing devices as well as sim cards.
Head of the European-Bahraini Organization for Human Rights information security and counter-surveillance, Steffen Tor Jensen, has also verified Mr. Boelter's discovery. He added that "WhatsApp can effectively continue flipping the security keys when devices are offline and re-sending the message, without letting users know of the change till after it has been made, providing an extremely insecure platform."
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