WhatsApp has launched a new portal where you can find details of newly found security vulnerabilities – information that you might want to know as an informed user.
WhatsApp won't publish details of bugs before they've been fixed, to avoid them being exploited, but once vulnerabilities have been resolved you'll be able to find full details on WhatsApp Security Advisories.
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WhatsApp says that before now, it's not been possible to publish full details of these fixes due to limitations of the App Store and Google Play, so it's chosen to list them all in a single place for the sake of transparency.
The company is keen to point out that although it's going more public with details of security bugs, it's no less secure than before, and just because a vulnerability is listed, that doesn't mean it was exploited or that any of your data was compromised.
"We are very committed to transparency and this resource is intended to help the broader technology community benefit from the latest advances in our security efforts," it said in a statement on the new portal. "We strongly encourage all users to ensure they keep their WhatsApp up-to-date from their respective app stores and update their mobile operating systems whenever updates are available."
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The portal already contains a list of this year's advisories that were previously undisclosed. Five of these were fixed the same day they were found (the sixth took a little longer), and there's no evidence that any of them were actually exploited for malicious purposes.
WhatsApp's parent company Facebook explained that fixes will also be rolled out to other products (such as Facebook Messenger or Instagram) that use the same code. It will also inform the owners of any third-party code libraries about any fresh bugs so they can make the necessary updates.
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Via The Next Web
