Beware, this WhatsApp link will instantly crash your Android phone
This WhatsApp link will crash your Android phone
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WhatsApphas been no stranger to phone-breaking bugs andsecurity breachesover the years, with the latest one yet again causing the app to crash your phone.
There’s a link going around the Android version of WhatsApp (wa.me/settings) that, if clicked on, will cause your phone to crash as soon as you open a group or individual chat containing it. The actual trigger is as simple as opening a chat with the link, though thankfully the app restarts normally after that, unless you happen to open that message thread again.
The offending link sends you to the app’s settings page, which makes it even more malicious for those used to the shortcut. Twitter userBruteBeepreviously reported on this issue, which wasfirst discovered and extensively coveredbyPandyaMayur, whileAndroid Authorityconfirmed that version 2.23.10.77 of the app is currently the one impacted, though it’s still unknown whether other versions have experienced this bugged link as of now.
It’s similar to previous bugs in which an otherwise innocuous link or image hides a malicious feature that wreaks havoc on your phone and results in it crashing. Back in 2018, there were at least two of these, one being theinfamous black dotin the center of a WhatsApp message that crashed phones and the other arandom Telugu language characterin messages that crashed iOS phones. And in 2020 there was another set oftext bombs or ‘crash codes’that resulted in a crash loop.
The cause for this issue is most likely how WhatsApp resolves the URL for the shortened link. And while there’s no official fix for the bug just yet,Android Policereports of a workaround for the bugged link until WhatsApp officially does push a patch down. It seems that WhatsApp Web is immune to the link’s effects, so if you find yourself a victim of constant phone crashes, log into your account through your browser and delete the message with the link.
Technically this means that you can also send the link safely through WhatsApp Web, though it’s probably not wise to do so until the bug is completely fixed. Hopefully, that patch will be coming in soon.
Update: Meta has since responded, stating that this is an issue it previously addressed through itsofficial WhatsApp Twitter account. According to a statement from Meta, “This is a bug on Android’s end with their Privacy Dashboard tool and it only made it appear as though users’ microphones were being accessed – it was not actually accessed.”
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Googlealso addressed the issue,acknowledgingthat this bug is onGoogle’s end as well. According to a statement from the tech giant: “Based on our current investigation, this reported bug in Android affecting WhatsApp users produces incorrect privacy indicators and notifications in the Privacy Dashboard. We are working to develop a fix for users.”
This article has been corrected to reflect the original discoverer of the WhatsApp bug, which was Twitter user PandyaMayur.
Named by the CTA as a CES 2023 Media Trailblazer, Allisa is a Computing Staff Writer who covers breaking news and rumors in the computing industry, as well as reviews, hands-on previews, featured articles, and the latest deals and trends. In her spare time you can find her chatting it up on her two podcasts, Megaten Marathon and Combo Chain, as well as playing any JRPGs she can get her hands on.
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