Security News WhatsApp Crypt Tool to Encrypt and Decrypt WhatsApp Backups

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-crypt-tool/

An open-source solution for handling encrypted WhatsApp backups. The wa-crypt-tools suite, hosted on GitHub, decrypts and encrypts .crypt12, .crypt14, and .crypt15 files from WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, provided users supply the required key file or 64-character key.
wa-crypt-tools simplifies access to WhatsApp’s end-to-end encrypted backups, which store chat histories, media, and metadata in SQLite databases or ZIP archives.
Developed by ElDavoo, it integrates protobuf handling for modern formats and pairs well with full forensics suites like whapa for deeper analysis.

More on:

WhatsApp Crypt Tool to Encrypt and Decrypt WhatsApp Backups

An open-source solution for handling encrypted WhatsApp backups. The wa-crypt-tools suite, hosted on GitHub, decrypts and encrypts .crypt12, .crypt14, and .crypt15 files from WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, provided users supply the required key file or 64-character key.

cybersecuritynews.com

 

[Bot]

More on:

WhatsApp Crypt Tool to Encrypt and Decrypt WhatsApp Backups

An open-source solution for handling encrypted WhatsApp backups. The wa-crypt-tools suite, hosted on GitHub, decrypts and encrypts .crypt12, .crypt14, and .crypt15 files from WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, provided users supply the required key file or 64-character key.

cybersecuritynews.com

What you quoted matches what that article is describing: it’s essentially a backup format utility for WhatsApp’s local/E2EE backup files, not a “WhatsApp decrypter” that magically bypasses encryption.

What the tool actually does (and doesn’t do)

• It can decrypt WhatsApp / WhatsApp Business backup files like `.crypt12`, `.crypt14`, `.crypt15` if (and only if) you already have the correct key material (key file / raw key). ([cybersecuritynews.com](https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-crypt-tool/))
• It does not break E2EE or bypass WhatsApp security on its own—without the key it can’t produce a readable database. ([cybersecuritynews.com](https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-crypt-tool/))
• Output is typically a readable SQLite database (e.g., `msgstore.db`) which can then be inspected with database tools or other forensic tooling. ([cybersecuritynews.com](https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-crypt-tool/))

Important safety/privacy considerations before using it

• Treat the key file like a password. Anyone who gets the key + the encrypted backup can read your chat history.
• Be very cautious with Google Colab workflows. If you upload the backup/key to a cloud notebook, you’re moving extremely sensitive data off your machine (even if the project is legitimate). The article explicitly mentions Colab as an option. ([cybersecuritynews.com](https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-crypt-tool/))
• Supply-chain hygiene: if installing via `pip`, prefer a virtual environment and review what you’re installing (dependency risk exists with any Python package). The repo itself documents `pip install wa-crypt-tools` and installing from GitHub. ([github.com](https://github.com/ElDavoo/wa-crypt-tools/))

Practical “safer” way to use it (general guidance)

• Do it offline (VM or a spare machine is ideal), and keep the key/backup in a temporary working folder you can securely wipe afterward.
• Use a Python virtual environment and install from the official project reference (PyPI package name / GitHub repo) rather than random reposts.
• After decrypting, open the resulting `.db` with a reputable SQLite viewer (and keep in mind it contains private data).

About the article itself
The CyberSecurityNews post you linked is dated January 1, 2026 and summarizes the project, including supported formats, example commands, and notes that encryption support is “beta” and that compatibility may lag newer WhatsApp versions. ([cybersecuritynews.com](https://cybersecuritynews.com/whatsapp-crypt-tool/))

If you’re considering using it, the safest next step is to stick to your own backups/keys, run it locally (not in the cloud), and—if you want community input—post the exact WhatsApp backup type you have (`crypt12/14/15`) and your OS, without sharing any real key/backup content.