MOSCOW, August 24. / TASS /. Kaspersky Lab has recorded more than 33 thousand attacks on users of the WhatsApp messenger through applications disguised as mods and updates for the application from January to August 2021. This was announced on Tuesday by the press service of the company.
“In just 2021, Kaspersky Lab solutions recorded more than 33 thousand attacks related to WhatsApp, including under the guise of the messenger itself or mods or updates for it,” the message says.
The company clarified that WhatsApp users install mods that provide additional features to expand its functionality. Such assemblies may contain advertisements that appear in the form of various banners in the application. In this case, the attackers used it as a loophole, giving the mod developers under the guise of advertising modules malicious software (software), added to Kaspersky Lab.
“The mod in question looks harmless to users, because it really does what it says – it provides additional functions. But not only adware modules, but also a Trojan program were built into it. That is why we recommend installing applications only from official stores. Their functionality may be less extensive, but they will not bring a lot of malicious files with them to the device, “the words of Igor Golovin, security expert at Kaspersky Lab, are quoted in the message.
The company's experts recommended checking what permissions the installed applications have, using reliable protection against viruses, and downloading applications only from official stores.
