Malaysia warns people against downloading malicious 'Pink WhatsApp'
The Pink WhatsApp application causes users to lose control of their devices.
The WhatsApp communications app is seen on a smartphone, in New York, Mar 10, 2017. (File photo: AP/Patrick Sison)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's communications regulator on Tuesday (Jun 27) warned the public against downloading a malicious application called Pink WhatsApp, saying it poses a serious security risk.
According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Pink WhatsApp falsely advertises better security and privacy features, a customised interface and the ability to transmit larger files than WhatsApp.
However, the malicious application can access data within a user's smartphone such as photos, SMS and contact lists, said MCMC.
"Users may receive messages and links that appear to be from WhatsApp inviting them to try the new application," said the regulator, advising those who already have Pink WhatsApp on their mobile devices to delete it immediately.
MCMC also recommended that the public only download mobile applications from official stores such as Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei App Gallery.
Malaysia's advisory follows a similar warning by India police in Mumbai.
According to The Star, citing India Times, members of the public were urged to refer to an advisory titled “WhatsApp Pink: A red alert for Android users”.
It reportedly detailed how Pink WhatsApp will bombard an affected user’s device with numerous ads and cause them to lose control of their device, as personal data like one-time passwords (OTP) and contacts can be accessed by fraudsters.
The advisory was released by the Information Security Education and Awareness agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India.
In response to CNA's queries about the malicious app, WhatsApp pointed to safety information on its website which states that unofficial apps may carry malware that can steal users' data and damage their phones.
WhatsApp may also temporarily or permanently ban a user's account if they are using unofficial third-party apps.
"If you received an in-app message saying your account is 'temporarily banned', this means that you're likely using an unofficial version of WhatsApp, or that you might be harvesting information, which is known as scraping," the website stated.
"If you don't switch to the official app or stop engaging in scraping after being temporarily banned, your account might be permanently banned from using WhatsApp."
