According to the company, Code Verify is a new browser plugin from WhatsApp parent firm Meta that intends to strengthen the security of WhatsApp's web version. The extension works by ensuring that the web version of WhatsApp has not been tampered with. When using the browser-based version of WhatsApp, the goal is to make it far more difficult for a would-be attacker to compromise data or the privacy of end-to-end encrypted chats.
Meta has witnessed an increase in users using WhatsApp directly through their web browser via WhatsApp Web since WhatsApp enabled multi-device capabilities last year. With this move in mind, they have been looking into methods to add more levels of protection to the WhatsApp Web experience.
Code Verify collaborates with Cloudflare, a web infrastructure and security firm, to enable independent, third-party, transparent verification of the code you're receiving on WhatsApp Web. We hope that this provides consumers who are at danger some piece of mind. Meta claims that- “No other end-to-end encrypted messaging service has this level of security for people’s communications on the web”.
The security mechanisms that underpin Code Verify aren't very innovative. Finally, it's a matter of comparing a hash of the code executing in your browser to a hash maintained by trustworthy third-party Cloudflare. However, its usefulness is in automating this process, making it simple for everyone to comprehend and use regardless of technical knowledge.
Once the inspection is completed, the browser extension employs a traffic light system to indicate whether or not there are any concerns. Green indicates that everything is well, however orange indicates that you may need to reload your website or that a different browser plugin is interfering with Code Verify. The colour red indicates that there is a problem, and according to WhatsApp's support page, the extension will be able to assist users in resolving it.
Meta claims, the extension is unable to read or view your messages, and no data is delivered to Cloudflare. Meta has also made the source code for Code Verify available on GitHub, allowing other websites to benefit from its security features. The extension is already available for Chrome and Edge, and Meta promises that a Firefox version will be released "soon." Meta's news statement makes no mention of a Safari version, although its GitHub website mentions that compatibility is on the way.