Earlier today, Iranian officials called on citizens to delete WhatsApp from their smartphones, accusing the platform—without presenting any evidence—of collecting user data to share with Israel.

WhatsApp strongly denied the claims. In a statement to the Associated Press, the Meta-owned platform said it was "concerned that these false reports may be used as an excuse to block our services at a time when people need them most." The company also emphasized that it neither tracks users’ locations nor monitors their private messages.

Figure 1.Hacking WhatsApp.

Due to the lack of publicly available evidence from Iran, the claims remain impossible to independently verify. Figure 1 shows Hacking WhatsApp.

However, it is true that while WhatsApp offers robust privacy and security protections, it’s not completely immune to breaches. Notably, Israel has previously demonstrated the ability to compromise the app.

With nearly 3 billion users globally, WhatsApp is one of the most popular free messaging apps. It enables users to send texts, make calls, and share media via the internet. Its use of strong end-to-end encryption means that only the sender and recipient can read the messages—not even WhatsApp can access them—making it a highly secure platform in most cases.

Advanced Cyber Capabilities

The United States is widely regarded as the global leader in cyber capabilities—a term that encompasses the skills, tools, and resources nations use to defend against, exploit, or launch digital attacks as a form of national power.

However, Israel also ranks among the world’s top cyber powers, alongside countries like the United Kingdom, China, Russia, France, and Canada.

Israel has a well-documented history of sophisticated cyber operations. One of the most notable examples is the Stuxnet worm, which targeted Iran’s nuclear program over 15 years ago [1]. Israeli cyber units, particularly the elite Unit 8200, are globally recognized for their expertise and innovation in both cyber offense and defense.

Seven of the ten leading cybersecurity firms worldwide have research and development hubs in Israel, and Israeli startups are frequently at the forefront of developing cutting-edge offensive and defensive cyber technologies.

A History of Hacking

Israeli firms have been repeatedly linked to WhatsApp hacking incidents. One of the most prominent cases involved the Pegasus spyware, developed by Israel-based NSO Group. In 2019, the spyware exploited vulnerabilities in WhatsApp to infiltrate 1,400 user accounts—including those of journalists, human rights activists, and government officials.

Just last month, a U.S. federal court ordered NSO Group to pay nearly US$170 million in damages to Meta and WhatsApp over the breach.

Another Israeli cybersecurity firm, Paragon Solutions, was recently reported to have targeted nearly 100 WhatsApp accounts using advanced spyware to intercept communications after they had been decrypted.

These operations typically involve spearphishing—a method more targeted and deceptive than traditional phishing. While phishing casts a wide net, spearphishing focuses on specific individuals, sending messages that appear to come from trusted sources in order to trick recipients into installing spyware. Once the spyware is installed, attackers can gain full access to a device, including decrypted WhatsApp messages.

For example, a spearphishing email may appear to be from a known colleague or organization, urging the recipient to review a document or reset a password. Clicking on the link may direct the user to a fake login page or trigger the download of malicious software.

How to Stay Safe from Spearphishing

To protect against spearphishing attacks:

• Be cautious with unexpected emails or messages, especially those with urgent requests.
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading unknown attachments.
• Hover your mouse over a link to preview its destination—look for odd or unrelated domain names.
• Always enable two-factor authentication on messaging and email apps.
• Keep all software and operating systems updated with the latest security patches.
• Verify any sensitive requests through a trusted, alternate communication channel.
• Regularly participate in cybersecurity awareness training to recognize and resist these types of threats.

Reference:

1. https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2025/06/inside-chat-could-whatsapp-be-hacked-by.html

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025), Inside the Chat: Can Governments Hack WhatsApp? Expert Explains the Possibilities, AnaTechMaz, pp.334.