KOMPAS.com – Whatsapp’s parent company, Meta, has reportedly sued a number of companies in China known to be the developers of the HeyMods, Highlight Mobi, and HeyWhatsapp apps. The three applications are modified versions of WhatsApp aka Whatsapp Mod.
Whatsapp Mod is a Whatsapp application that offers more diverse functions and features than the original version. Because it is not an official application, Whatsapp mod is more vulnerable to being hacked. The illegal application is said to have stolen more than one million user accounts.
According to reports Bleeping Computer, in a lawsuit filed with the District Court in San Francisco, several Whatsapp Mod applications have been downloaded millions of times. Generally, the WhatsApp Mod application is downloaded through a third site. The WhatsApp Mod application can rarely be found on the Google Play Store because it is not an official application.
Also read: Be careful, the YoWhatsApp Mod WhatsApp Application Can Steal User Accounts
The risk of data theft occurs after users download Whatapp Mod applications, such as “Theme Store for Zap” and “AppUpdater for WhatsappPlus 2021 GB Yo FM Hey Mods”.
Illustration of WhatsApp infiltrated by malware
Once installed, the WhatsApp Mod application will ask the user to enter the credentials code for the official Whatsapp account. Then, the app will authenticate access from official Whatsapp to Whatsapp Mod.
If an account is successfully compromised, sensitive messages and information can then be stolen.
However, the jurisdiction (lawsuit) against the Mod application developer is still not clearly known, because there are many similar companies based in China, as compiled KompasTekno from India TodayTuesday (18/10/2022).
However, the lawsuit notes that courts have personal jurisdiction over any person or thing subject to national law. This is because the companies accused of Meta are said to be “knowingly directing and targeting their schemes at Meta and WhatsApp, whose main business is located in California”.
Also read: Be careful, this WhatsApp Mod application carries a dangerous Trojan
However, the complaint notes that the court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants, namely Chinese companies. Because, they consciously develop, direct, and target the criminal scheme to the California-based company Meta and Whatsapp.
WhatsApp Mod is dangerous
Some time ago, cybersecurity company Kaspersky released a report that a WhatsApp Mod application called YoWhatsApp was known to steal access to user accounts.
The application is said to contain the Triada Trojan which can abuse access permissions without the user realizing it.