WhatsApp messages with strange crash codes are affecting users across the globe. Read on to know more about it…
WhatsApp messages with strange crash codes are affecting users across the globe. WhatsApp users have complained of getting messages that crash the app or freezes it. As per reports, the WhatsApp messages are usually long and are written using special characters which the WhatsApp messenger is not able to decode.
These messages are also being sent in the form of virtual cards or vcards. The dangerous codes are being shared in online forums, and as reliable insider site WABetaInfo explains, WhatsApp users are being advised not to send them on to friends, family or other contacts even as a joke. This further leads to an indefinite crash. As per reports, several users from Brazil had reported the issue.
Threat Report
A Wabetainfo report states that the messages contain weird characters that make no sense. “A contact might send a message that contains many weird characters. If you read them entirely, they have no sense, but WhatsApp might interpret the message in the wrong way. Sometimes WhatsApp is also unable to render the message totally because its structure is so weird: the combination of these characters creates a situation where WhatsApp isn’t able to process the message, determining an infinite crash,” the report read.
Now, these kinds of messages can completely cripple the app as WhatsApp cannot process such messages. This would lead to an indefinite crash that would prohibit users from opening the app. If you try to close the app repeatedly and try to open the app, again and again, your WhatsApp would still not function. Although this issue has been reported by several users across the globe, it is prevalent in Brazil.
The WhatsApp features tracker reports that a lot of WhatsApp groups are being operated where users scare such kind of messages that are designed to crash specific platforms. The moment these messages are accessed, it makes the app, non-functional.
These messages are also being sent in the form of virtual cards or vcards. “If you open the vcard, you can verify that there might be like 100 associated contacts. Every contact has a very long weird name, that contains a crash code. Sometimes the vcard is also altered, editing/injecting something called Payload that makes the situation worse,” the report stated.
Mitigation
There are, thankfully, some steps you can take to help protect yourself against these crash codes. While it’s not a guaranteed form of security, it’s a good idea to limit who can add you to a group as this will help to reduce the risk of being exposed to strangers who might share a dangerous message or vCard with you.
Anyone unfortunate enough to have received a crash code message to log into their account in the web-based version of WhatsApp, block the person who sent the message, and then delete it. This might prove tricky unless you are already logged into WhatsApp Web, as you need to scan a QR code using the WhatsApp mobile app.
Upon blocking the contact, set your group privacy settings to “My Contacts” or “My Contacts except..”. Then you should try removing the messaging containing the crash codes from WhatsApp web, if you are able to access the messaging app. However, if nothing works, you can uninstall the app and reinstall it but in this process you might lose your chat history.