Critical Security Vulnerability on Instagram App

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Check Point security researchers have discovered vulnerability on Instagram app, that when exploited by hackers could help them in taking over any victimized account. The Israeli-based firm says that the flaw can help the cyber criminals spy on any of the Instagram account by just sending them a malicious image file.

Instagram is a photo and video sharing website and when a sender sends a malicious image through the app, the image file could then allow the hackers to access all messages, images, contacts, camera and location data along with the videos on the victim’s phone and can delete them.

The security flaw was discovered early this year and was reported to Facebook, which later issued a security patch for the newer version of the Insta application said Check Point.

So, all users of the FB owned Instagram app should ensure that they are using the latest version of the photo sharing app; if not, could check for the latest updates in the play store section.

Note- In Aug ’17, a bug on Instagram allowed hackers to sneak into the contact information and email addresses along with phone numbers of users. The issued was highlighted when Selena Gomez who had most of the followers on the said social media platform shared her experience with a compromised account. Although the bug was fixed months later, reports emerged that a hackers group was seen selling contact information of millions of verified accounts online. In Sept’17 the company admitted that it could not determine which accounts were compromised. However, it confirmed that accounts of multiple actors, musicians and athletes could have been impacted. In Nov’19, Apple Inc scrapped down an app named Like Patrol that was been used track down Instagram users.

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Naveen Goud is a writer at Cybersecurity Insiders covering topics such as Mergers & Acquisitions, Startups, Cyber Attacks, Cloud Security and Mobile Security

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