What is ‘GhostPairing’, new scam that can ‘hijack’ WhatsApp account without password?

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued an advisory for Indian WhatsApp users, warning them about a new “device-linking” feature on the social media platform that could allow attackers to ‘hijack’ accounts. It said the newly identified cyber campaign is called ‘GhostPairing’.

The advisory, which carries a ‘high’ severity rating, said the attack begins when the victim receives a message such as “Hi, check this photo”, which can lead to the full ‘hijacking’ of the user’s WhatsApp account.