Kaspersky Warns of WhatsApp Malware Campaign Using Compromised Accounts to Distribute Malicious Attachments
Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky found out about a thing happening on WhatsApp. This bad thing is happening in countries. It uses WhatsApp accounts that were already compromised to send files to people. These bad files look like they are coming from people you know which makes them hard to spot.
The people who found this out are the Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky. They said this bad thing is targeting people who use WhatsApp on their computers and on the web. The bad people are sending files that look like documents, like bills and bank statements.
How the Bad Thing Works
When you get one of these files and open it it does some bad things to your computer. It makes a folder on your computer and then gets more bad things from the internet. It uses something called Windows Script Host to get into your computer and take control of it.
A security researcher at Kaspersky said "When you open these files they start a chain of bad things that gets more bad things from the internet and does them without you knowing."
Bad Thing Happening Over
This bad thing is happening in many countries. A lot of people in Malaysia got affected. Other countries where people got affected are Brazil, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. It also looks like people in Europe are being targeted.
The bad people are very good at what they're doing. They are using languages, like English, Portuguese, French, German and Malay. They are even making the bad files look like they are from Microsoft, which makes them look real.
WhatsApp Has Big Security Problems
This bad thing is happening at a time when WhatsApp is having a lot of security problems. In April 2026 someone found a way to get into WhatsApp accounts by sending video calls. This was a problem because it let bad people get into accounts that were important.
WhatsApp is the popular messaging app in the world with over 2 billion people using it. This makes it a big target for people. The fact that you can use WhatsApp on your computer and on the web makes it easier for bad people to get in.
How to Protect Yourself
Kaspersky said that WhatsApp users should be careful. They should not open files that they did not ask for even if they look like they are from someone they know. They should also be careful when opening files that can do things to their computer like.vbs and.exe files.
People should also use security software on all their devices. They should keep WhatsApp up to date so that they have the security fixes.
The Big Picture
This bad thing shows that bad people are using ways to get into computers. They are using accounts that people already trust to send things. This makes it hard for security software to stop them.
It looks like the bad people are targeting banks and other places that deal with money. They are using names of documents that're real like bills and bank statements. They are trying to get into these places to get information or to take control of their computers.
Kaspersky did not say how many people got affected or if this bad thing is still happening.. They said that people all over the world should be careful because this bad thing is big and can affect anyone.
- Be careful when you get files you did not ask for
- Do not open files that can do things to your computer
- Use good security software
- Keep WhatsApp up to date
The bad people are good, at what they're doing so you have to be careful. You have to protect yourself from these things. WhatsApp users have to be aware of what's happening and take steps to protect themselves.
