On previously thought-to-be secure messaging apps like WhatsApp, Signal, and Threema, security researchers have found a’surprising’ way to reveal location data. Despite adopting an erroneous method, the tests yielded an average dependability of 80%.
The process calculates how long it takes the attacker to learn whether a message sent to the target has been delivered.Specific physical properties of mobile internet networks and IM app server infrastructure produce conventional signal paths with predictable delays based on the user’s location. By looking through the logs of a packet capture programme like Wireshark, one can determine the precise timing.
Since the method will be accurate on location data if they are in an area the attacker is familiar with according to their usual routine, the attacks can only be employed against targets that attackers have knowledge of.
