• A security exploit was discovered that could allow attackers to gain access to the camera systems of Apple macOS devices.
• Telegram denies users were at risk, saying the exploit requires malware to be installed on their systems.
• Telegram has executed changes that received approval from the Apple App Store and users that downloaded the Telegram app directly from its website are not at risk.

Exploit Discovered

A security exploit was discovered that could allow attackers to gain control of a macOS device’s camera through permissions previously granted to an installed Telegram application. The exploit would allow recording from the device’s camera and saving the file, potentially bypassing sandbox restrictions created by Apple specifically to prevent such abuse of third-party apps.

Telegram Denies Risk

Messaging app Telegram denies users were at risk after a security exploit was discovered that could allow attackers to gain control of a macOS device’s camera. A spokesperson for Telegram said that users are not at risk by default as the exploit requires malware to be installed on their systems in order for it take effect.

Changes Executed by Telegram

Telegram has executed changes that received approval from the Apple App Store late on May 16 in order to address this issue and allay user concerns. Users who downloaded the messaging app directly from its website have been assured they are not at risk either.

Additional Features

In December 2022, Telegram released an update enabling users to create accounts using blockchain-based anonymous numbers in order increase privacy and security. The feature requires users purchase blockchain-powered anonymous numbers via decentralized auction platform Fragment.

Cointelegraph Reaches Out To Apple

Cointelegraph reached out to Apple for an official comment regarding this identified exploit but did not receive a response at time of writing .