Facebook-owned free messaging app Whatsapp is vulnerable to hacking, according to a report published Tuesday by Nasdaq-listed network and cloud security provider Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. The firewall pioneer said it discovered security flaws that could allow hackers to intercept and manipulate messages sent in private and group chats.

“The potential for online scams, rumors and fake news is huge,” Check Point said in its report. “It doesn’t help then, if threat actors have an additional weapon in their arsenal to leverage the platform for their malicious intentions.”

Whatsapp. Photo: Bloomberg

Check Point said its research team discovered three possible methods of attack. These include using the quote feature in a group conversation to change the identity of the sender, altering the text of another user’s reply, and disguising private messages as group chat messages.

Check Point said it informed WhatsApp of its findings.

Whatsapp has yet to reply to Calcalist’s request for comment.

Founded in 2009, Whatsapp was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $22 billion. It now boasts more than 1 billion users in over 180 countries.