vCard Vulnerability : WhatsApp

1.     WhatsApp,the exceedingly renowned application that has actually swung around the way we all chat, talk, share and do so many things has so many PROs but over this small period of time since its inception it has also been the quarry of cyber criminals. With a user base as strong as 900 million active users in Apr 2015,any vulnerability in the architecture cosmos is destined to be a remunerative lure for any cyber criminal. A recent vulnerability in the form of simply sharing a vCard with other user discovered by Check Point security researcher Kasif Dekel has come to the fore. It involves simply sharing the seemingly guileless vCard with the victim and as the victim clicks the vCard, his task his over since rest will be done in the background by the malicious code terra incognita to the user. This vCard actually exists as an executable file and gets into action the moment it gets clicked by the user in the application. 

 

 

RESOLVED by update from WhatsApp 

2.   WhatsApp affirmed and recognized the security egress and have released the fix in all versions greater than 0.1.4481 and blockaded that especial lineament. 

How it Happens? 

3.   To activate the code, Kasif Dekel ascertained an attacker could just inject the command to the name attribute of the vCard file, separated by the ‘&’ character. When executed, it will attempt to run all lines in the files, including controlled injection line. Once such a contact is made, all an attacker has to do is share it via the normal WhatsApp client. 

What made the application Vulnerable? 

4.    WhatsApp Web allows users to view any type of media or attachment that can be sent or viewed by the mobile platform/application. This includes images, videos, audio files, locations and contact cards.Thus the default action runs for the vCard for running the code whilst being understood as sharing the contact details. 

 

What can it do ?

 

Once the code is activated,it is bound to take complete control over the target machine and will definitely monitor the user’s activities and use the target machine to spread malicious malwares and viruses ahead.

Timelines by CHECKPOINT on the vulnerability 

 
    August 21, 2015 – Vulnerability disclosed to the WhatsApp security team.
    August 23, 2015 – First response received.
    August 27, 2015 – WhatsApp rolls out fixed web clients (v0.1.4481)
    September 8, 2015 – Public disclosure 

Thanks CHECKPOINT