WhatsApp is a popular messaging app that uses end-to-end encryption to protect users’ communications. This security measure scrambles messages into unreadable format, making it difficult for hackers to intercept and read them. However, there are limitations to this protection.
Once a message reaches the recipient’s device, WhatsApp stores it in its local database, which is encrypted with a stored key. The app then uses this key to decrypt the message in real-time. But if an expert has physical access to the smartphone, they can extract the database and decrypt the contents.
Cell phone forensics technology can also recover deleted messages from WhatsApp and other messaging apps, and some government agencies have access to tools that can crack or bypass smartphone passcodes. While WhatsApp’s encryption is effective against “man-in-the-middle” attacks, it may not provide complete protection against all forms of digital threats.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/larsdaniel/2024/09/25/how-digital-forensics-experts-read-your-encrypted-whatsapp-messages/