FILE PHOTO: The WhatsApp messaging application is seen on a phone screen August 3, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/File Photo

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Facebook’s WhatsApp has informed its lead regulator in the European Union, Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC), of a serious security vulnerability on its platform, the DPC said on Tuesday.

“The DPC understands that the vulnerability may have enabled a malicious actor to install unauthorized software and gain access to personal data on devices which have WhatsApp installed,” the regulator said in a statement.

“WhatsApp are still investigating as to whether any WhatsApp EU user data has been affected as a result of this incident,” the DPC said, adding that WhatsApp informed it of the incident late on Monday.