A security researcher discovered a vulnerability in WhatsApp that could allow attackers to obtain access to a device and steal data by sending a malicious GIF file. The vulnerability is a double-free vulnerability, i.e. a memory corruption issue that can crash apps or create an opening for a hacker to compromise the security of the affected device. WhatsApp told The Next Web it had no reason to suspect any users were impacted and that it had resolved the issue in a patch. In October 2018, a researcher with Googles Project Zero bug hunting team released details of a vulnerability that allowed attackers to seize control of an account just by placing a video call.”]
Source: https://gizmodo.com/whatsapp-vulnerability-could-have-allowed-attackers-to-1838719025