The Code Verify browser extension aims to improve the security of the web version of Whatsapp.
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Code Verify is designed to secure the web version of Whatsapp.
Whatsapp wants to make its web version safer to use. That’s why parent company Meta released a new browser extension called Code Verify this week.
Many users use the web version of Whatsapp
Code Verify is designed to verify that the web version of Whatsapp has not been tampered with. This is intended to make it more difficult for attackers to compromise the privacy of end-to-end encrypted messages from Whatsapp when users access the browser version of the service. Just last year, Meta introduced a multi-device beta for Whatsapp. This made it easier to use the messenger outside of the main device. According to its own statements, Whatsapp mainly booked new access to the service via the web browser. However, this has created new security challenges compared to conventional WhatsApp apps.
Browser extension to help with problems
Code Verify compares a hash of code running in the user’s browser with a hash stored at third-party service provider Cloudflare. This system is not new. However, the browser extension is intended to ensure that less technically savvy users can also make use of this automated security service. Once the check is complete, Code Verify uses a traffic light system to show whether there were any problems during the check. Red indicates an issue that the extension aims to help users solve.
Meta emphasizes that Code Verify cannot read the encrypted messages and does not transmit their content to Cloudflare either. The extension is currently available for Chrome and Edge. A version for Firefox will follow shortly.
