Report: 2019 Signal Vulnerability Allowed Eavesdropping
Before we start to panic, it’s fair to say that almost every application contains security vulnerabilities. Some are found quickly, but others remain undiscovered until someone finds and exploits them—which is inevitable.
Signal Private Messenger—promoted as one of the most secure messengers in the world—is no exception.
In 2019, a Google Project Zero researcher discovered a serious flaw in the Android client of Signal. The exploit allowed a caller to force the recipient’s phone to auto-answer an audio call without any user interaction, effectively activating the microphone on the target device. This allowed the caller to listen to private conversations without the recipient realizing.
The bug was quickly reported to Signal, who promptly confirmed and patched the issue in version 4.47.7. Always keeping your apps updated is the best defense.
While Signal remains a popular choice for private communication, other end-to-end encrypted options include WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram, and Threema. If your trust in Signal was shaken, or you just want to check out an alternative, you can pick one of the above.
