The company claimed that WhatsApp messages are secured and nobody can intercept it even that the staff could not do so. It is reported that there is loophole in the WhatsApp and it can allow the facebook and others to intercept and read the messages of WhatsApp. In the paper, the new research is shown and facebook or others can read the messages of WhatsApp as they provided the end-to-end encryption. There are new finding of the huge threat to the freedom of speech and this vulnerability could be used by the agencies of the government as the backdoor and keep an eye on the users to believe that WhatsApp messages are to be secure.
WhatsApp boosted the security as top selling point and it was used by majority of activists, diplomats and privacy concerned users and they also consider it as the safe and secure platform.
Here is what can trigger interception
The end to end encryption of WhatsApp relies on the innovative security keys to generate in real time. The security keys are generated from ‘signal protocol’ and it is developed by the Open Whisper Systems. The messages are communicated and they are encrypted to use these security keys to ensure that such communication cannot be intercept when it travels on the network. The Whatsapp can force to generate the new encryption keys for offline users. The change made in the encryption keys can make the sender re-encrypt message with new keys and send most of the messages again that were not marked as delivered.
When this change is made in encryption, then the recipient is not aware of it and sender is notified if they are opted in to encryption warnings in settings and after the messages have been re-sent. The re-encryption and rebroadcasting allows WhatsApp to intercept and read the messages of the users. It means that WhatsApp has the control over the encryption keys and it is forced by the government or the in-house policies to read the messages of the users or let anyone to read these messages. In response to the report, WhatsApp does not give the backdoor to the government into the systems and fight any government request to create the backdoor.
