iOS and Android security is driving up the price for zero-day WhatsApp exploits

Not only groceries, but the market price for WhatsApp exploits is also increasing, and inflation may not be the only reason.

Hackers can attribute the rising cost of defying safeguards against accessing private WhatsApp data to the continuous security updates on iOS and Android. Another factor driving up the price for exploits is Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

TechCrunch provides insights on the increased costs for zero-day WhatsApp hacks:

Last week, a Russian company that buys zero-days — flaws in software that are unknown to the developer of the affected product — offered $20 million for chains of bugs that would allow their customers, which the company said are “Russian private and government organizations only,” to remotely compromise phones running iOS and Android.

The $20 million price tag for hacking WhatsApp messages in 2023 contrasts with data from 2021, as reported by TechCrunch, which valued WhatsApp exploits between $1.7 million and $8 million.

But why target WhatsApp specifically? Exploiting WhatsApp is often seen as just one part of exploiting a user’s entire phone.

Apple, on its part, has introduced additional features to protect targeted users on top of frequent security updates.

For instance, Apple’s Lockdown Mode on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, designed to protect users at risk of surveillance. Apple recently enhanced Lockdown Mode in iOS 17 and macOS Sonoma.