What is WhatsApp Pink, how it works and how to be safe from it

KEY STORY

• A new computer virus is being spread among WhatsApp users that can potentially cause complete data loss on its target devices. The virus is being shared as an alternate version of the chat app called WhatsApp Pink.

• This is not the first time that WhatsApp is being used for such nefarious activities by threat actors. However, this new malware can cause the victim to completely lose control of his or her device and the data in it.

• The malware was recently spotted and made public on Twitter by a cybersecurity researcher. The expert warned that the virus could give a hacker complete access to a phone on which the virus establishes itself.

• The dangerous computer virus is being spread under the moniker “WhatsApp Pink.” Here is all you need to know about it.

  What is WhatsApp Pink?

   

• WhatsApp Pink is essentially malware or a malicious computer program that intends to hijack its target system. The virus gets its name from the alias under which it is being spread on WhatsApp groups. The carefully articulated message containing the virus promises the user to install a Pink-themed WhatsApp on their phone upon clicking a link.

• The message also contains images showing chats from a pink-coloured WhatsApp. Needless to say, the photos are as fake as the claims.

• The nefarious message also contains a link to an APK download. Users are asked to click on the link in order to download the Pink-themed WhatsApp. Any user clicking on the link is redirected to an APK download.

• This downloaded file is the real virus hidden in disguise. Since the users are eager to install the WhatsApp package, they do not realise that they are being duped into downloading a virus. They, hence, readily give the permissions that the package asks for on the smartphone.

• As cybersecurity expert Rajshekhar Rajaharia explains in his tweet, the downloaded virus then gains complete access over the device, risking data loss or hijack by threat perpetrators.

How to avoid being a victim of WhatsApp Pink?

• To date, several WhatsApp users have reported receiving such a link on their phones, while many have forwarded it without knowing its real purpose. Sharing such unverified information is a major part of the problems faced by WhatsApp users.

• Threat actors take advantage of this, as they know that such misinformation is easily spread through WhatsApp groups. They simply disguise their malware or virus in a luring format, and people begin to either download or share it with others without knowing its true nature.

• But as people become more and more aware of how such scams work, they should be on the lookout for any such misleading messages and links shared on WhatsApp.

• The easiest and one of the most effective safety tips you can follow at a time like this is not to click on any such unverified or suspicious link. Any third party link that redirects you away from WhatsApp should be checked thoroughly and only be clicked on if the source is found trustworthy.

CONCLUSION

• WhatsApp users are also suggested to stick to the updates officially rolled out by WhatsApp. Any such programs or third-party modifications to the app can turn out to be dangerous for the entire device. Users can also report such a malicious message from contact if they find one to be in circulation.

• As of now, it is unclear as to how the virus works and if a victim phone can be salvaged from its effect or not. It is hence, best to be safe and not click on the link at all, especially when it promises a Pink WhatsApp.