The record
Written from the 2 reports below. Nothing here is unsourced.
- Researchers at Guardio Labs disclosed a now-patched vulnerability, codenamed HermeticReader (CVE-2026-48294), in the Adobe Acrobat Chrome extension, which has over 314 million users.
- The flaw let a malicious webpage silently read a victim's WhatsApp Web data, including chats, contact names, and profile details, without needing malware, phishing, or session cookies.
- Exploitation required the victim to visit an attacker-controlled page while having the vulnerable extension installed.
- The issue affected extension versions up to and including 26.5.2.2 and has been fixed.
What to watch next
- Ensure the Adobe Acrobat extension is updated beyond version 26.5.2.2.
- Watch for similar browser-extension flaws that exploit cross-origin access to web apps.
- Monitor Adobe for any further advisories on extension security fixes.
What changed2
Every report on this story, newest first. Times are when each outlet published.
The Hacker News[1]
Adobe Acrobat Extension Flaw Let Malicious Sites Read WhatsApp Web DataBleepingComputer[2]
Adobe Chrome extension flaw let sites access private WhatsApp chats
Coverage2
2 reports
English national1International1
Filed from India ×1, United States ×1
Named India · Adobe Acrobat Chrome Extension · Chrome · WhatsApp · WhatsApp Web · Adobe · Guardio · Guardio Labs · Nati Tal · Shaked Biner
The 2 reports are listed beside the record.
Ask this story
Answers cite the reports above, or say they can't.

