WhatsApp silently fixes major bug that allowed unlimited access to 'view once' images: Report

WhatsApp on iOS recently suffered from a bug that allowed users to access all photos sent using the view once feature via the app's settings. However, as reported by Android Police, the issue has now been resolved. For those unfamiliar, the view once media option is a privacy-focused feature for sharing images that you do not want to be saved in someone’s gallery. It is highly popular among users and frequently used to share sensitive media. However, this bug enabled access to these images even after they had been opened. Here are the details.

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The bug explained

This issue, discovered only recently, enabled users to open view once media files even after they had been viewed and subsequently closed in the chat. It worked by navigating to WhatsApp settings in the iOS app, going to Storage and Data, and then selecting Manage Storage. Users could locate the sender’s chat, sort by the newest category, and access images sent as view once.

A Medium user, Ramshath, discovered this bug. According to him, he reported the issue to Meta’s bounty programme, but Meta responded, stating that the company was already aware of the problem and was working on it internally.

Our findings 

We were able to replicate this exploit on WhatsApp for iOS before the company resolved the issue. Now, when attempting the same steps, the exploit no longer works.

Interestingly, Meta has not officially acknowledged the bug, and based on Android Police’s reporting, the company appears to have launched the fix silently, without notifying.

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Why do peo ple use view once media? 

The view once feature allows you to send photos, videos, or voice messages that disappear from the chat after the recipient has viewed them once. Each time you wish to use this feature, you must select the view once option before sending the media. Once the recipient opens the media, it is no longer viewable.

Meta also highlights that media sent using this feature cannot be saved to the recipient’s gallery or photos app. Additionally, screenshots are blocked due to built-in protection.

For users who frequently send sensitive data or photos that should not be saved on someone else’s device, the view once feature is an essential tool. Now that Meta has resolved the issue in the iOS app, users can once again utilise it with confidence.