• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Jobs
  • Career
    • Cyber Security Training
    • Work from Home
    • Cyber Security Analyst
    • Remote Work – Six Ways to Keep Your Data Safe When Working Remotely
  • Field Guide
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Deals
  • News
AskCyberSecurity.com

AskCyberSecurity.com

Cyber Security News & Information

  • Home
  • Data Privacy
    • Gamers
    • Government Cyber Security
      • Legislation
      • Standards
        • What are the risks of computer security?
        • Medical Cyber Security
    • Social Media
  • Security
    • Data Breaches
    • Scams
    • Malware
  • Software
    • Apps
    • Web Browsers
  • Glossary
    • Cyber Security Acronyms
  • About Ask Cyber Security
    • Authors
    • Contact Us
  • VPN
    • How Do I Know If My VPN is Working?
    • Best Free VPN iPhone
    • Why Use a VPN?
    • NordVPN vs IPVanish
    • Private Internet Access Download
    • Best VPN for Streaming
      • TikTok VPN
    • VPN Porn
    • Computer Security Software – What You Really Need
  • Tutorials
  • ChatGPT
    • Does ChatGPT Save Data?
AskCyber Home » News » data privacy » WhatsApp Feature Displays User Phone Numbers on Google Searches

WhatsApp Feature Displays User Phone Numbers on Google Searches

2020-06-08 by Michelle Dvorak

WhatsApp Phone Number Google

Anyone can search WhatsApp Users Phone Numbers by Searching from Google

WhatsApp has a feature that allows Google to index and publish the phone numbers of WhatsApp users for regular online searches. This affects every one of WhatsApp’s 200 million users. The issue, labeled a security flaw, was found by full-time bug bounty hunter Atul Jayaram. According to Jayaram, the phone numbers of about 300,000 WhatsApp users appear in Google search engine results pages (SERPs) in plain text due to a chat feature of WhatsApp.

WhatsApp’s Click-to-Chat feature lets all of the app’s users create a custom URL with their phone number.

According to the WhatsApp support site, “As long as you know this person’s phone number and they have an active WhatsApp account, you can create a link that will allow you to start a chat with them. By clicking the link, a chat with the person automatically opens.”

WhatsApp users worldwide are affected by this issue.

READ: WhatsApp Streaming Scam Steals Account Credentials

It’s Not Really a Flaw Though

This is not really a security concern according to Threatpost. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp, says this is not a WhatsApp security flaw. Although phone numbers can be seen online, it is because of users who published their phone numbers online themselves.

…but they may not have realized that their personal URL can get out on the open internet.

The wa.me  domain name is owned by WhatsApp, according to WHOIS records. Search engines like Google can index WhatsApp’s Click-to-Chat metadata found in each custom URL string. The phone numbers are revealed as part of a URL string (https://wa.me/<phone_number>)  The phone number is also visible in plain text.

WhatsApp Click to Chat

WhatsApp Click-to-chat Feature

WhatsApp users can use the Click-to-chat feature to give other people a way of contacting them without giving out their phone numbers. Business owners use click-to-chat to let website visitors begin conversations by placing the QR code on their website. For someone to use Click-to-chat they have to use a URL or scan a QR (quick response ) to enable the chat feature.

READ: WhatsApp Spyware – How to Protect Yourself

According to Jayaram, the click-to-chat feature has an issue that allows the user’s phone number to appear on Google in plain text although. So, if the link exists anywhere on the Internet, it can be indexed by Google. That means if a business owner puts that QR code or chat URL on their website or it is shared online, then it may be indexed and found in Google searches.

How Do I Create My Own Link in WhatsApp?

Anyone can create their own WhatsApp click-to chat link. Just start with the base WhatsApp click-to-chat URL (Use https://wa.me/)and append a phone number to the end in international format.

A click-to-chat URL look like this https://wa.me/1XXXXXXXXXX where each X is a placeholder for your phone number.

Examples:

Use: https://wa.me/1XXXXXXXXXX

In a previous issue, and still existing, privacy concern involving WhatsApp it was found that invitations to private groups could also be indexed in search engines. That’s because they too are just website URLs like any other website.

WhatsApp Privacy Concern

Although only the user’s phone number is made public through this feature, this is an important piece of personally identifiable information that can be used to reset passwords and get past two-factor authentication (2FA) to gain access to more valuable accounts. Hackers collect fragments of information about victims through tactics such as social engineering, phishing emails, and previous data breaches. They can compile detailed profiles on individuals or tens of thousands of people. That sensitive information is then used to carry out phishing email campaigns and malware attacks with the goal of stealing information and money.

READ: WhatsApp Streaming Scam Steals Account Credentials

If your phone number is linked to your  Bitcoin wallet then that may be as risk too.

How to Avoid Having Your Phone Number Made Public?

Don’t use the custom WhatsApp URL and don’t post the URL or QR code on any website or public forum. It’s more public than you may realize.

Filed Under: data privacy Tagged With: WhatsApp

About Michelle Dvorak

Michelle writes about cyber security, data privacy focusing on social media privacy as well as how to protect your IoT devices. She has worked in internet technology for over 20 years and owns METRONY, LLC. Michelle earned a B.S. in Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Michelle published a guide to Cyber Security for Business Travelers


LinkedInTwitterFacebook

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free Newsletter

We Don't Share or Sell Your Info

Web Browsers

Where Are My Saved Passwords in Chrome?

Google Removes 70 Malicious Browser Add-ons from Chrome Web Store

Firefox 75 Reports Your Browser Settings to Mozilla

Categories

Cyber Security Field Guide

Computer Security While TravelingGet Our Cyber Security Field Guide - Available on Amazon!

Recent Posts

Security Marketing Manager – Remote

Sr. Associate, Cybersecurity Architect – Pfizer

Strategic Customer Success Manager – Cybersecurity – Opportunity for Working Remotely

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

ISU Cybersecurity Leader Job Opening

Cyber Security News

Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

… [Read More...] about Top 20 Passwords Leaked on Dark Web

Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

… [Read More...] about Apple Warns of Actively Exploited Zero-Day Flaw

IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

… [Read More...] about IRS Stops Facial Recognition System for Online Access

National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

… [Read More...] about National Cybersecurity Alliance Announces Data Privacy Week

More Cyber Security News

Tags

amazon Android Apple bitcoin China chrome CISA credit card DarkSide DHS DOJ Equifax Europe Facebook facial recognition FBI Firefox FTC games GDPR Google Government hacker identity theft India iPhone Iran IRS LinkedIn Microsoft North Korea PayPal phishing phishing email ransomware REvil Russia smartphone T-Mobile TikTok tutorial VPN WhatsApp WiFi Windows

Government

CBP Looks to Access Airline Passenger Data

FTC Releases Cyber Threat Video Playlist

Malware Found on US Government Funded Phones

UK NCA Reaches Out to Youth to Deter Cybercrimes

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Menu

  • Home
  • About
  • Authors
  • Newsletter Signup
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Search

Why Use a VPN?

NordVPN vs IPVanish VPN Review

NAVIGATION

  • Data Breaches
  • Data Privacy
  • Gamers
  • Scams
  • Malware

MEMBER NJCCIC

New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell

STAY CONNECTED

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • RSS

Copyright © 2023 · AskCyberSecurity.com · METRONY, LLC

Go to mobile version