Attack Of The Mutant Emojis: Hackers Used Popular Icons To Breach Messaging Service

Emojis come in all shapes, sizes, and, well, emotions. You might expect the plethora of options to bring a smile to just about any recipient’s face, but you probably didn’t think they would also provide a sneaky access point for hackers.

Security researchers at Cisco discovered a vulnerability in Pidgin, a Windows chat client, that allowed hackers to use an emoji as a gateway to consumers’ computers, Business Insider reports.

Researchers say the hackers allegedly used a bug in Pidgin’s code to sneak in instructions through new packs of emojis. When consumers downloaded the new pack they were allowing the hackers access to a computer’s files, giving them the ability to modify or create new files.

Pidgin released a security update that fixed the issue.

Back in 2012, Pidgin suffered a similar hack when another pack of emojis were found to sneak in extra files.

Hackers have been known to trick users into downloading files disguised as legitimate software downloads. Once the user approves the installation, the virus spreads. To avoid the issues and the hassle of dealing with a hack, make sure to only download files from trusted sources.

Hackers Can Now Use Emoji To Infect Your Computer [Business Insider]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist