dbcve.org
WhatsappApplication

CVE-2018-6339

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.0 Published 2019-06-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.18.150 / 2.18.295 or later.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
When receiving calls using WhatsApp on Android, a stack allocation failed to properly account for the amount of data being passed in. An off-by-one error meant that data was written beyond the allocated space on the stack. This issue affects WhatsApp for Android starting in version 2.18.180 and was fixed in version 2.18.295. It also affects WhatsApp Business for Android starting in version v2.18.103 and was fixed in version v2.18.150.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

A stack-based buffer overflow vulnerability exists in WhatsApp for Android and WhatsApp Business for Android during call handling. An off-by-one error in stack allocation fails to properly account for incoming call data size, allowing data to be written beyond the allocated stack buffer. This could allow remote code execution via malicious VoIP call.

MitigationUpdate WhatsApp for Android to version 2.18.295 or later, and WhatsApp Business for Android to version 2.18.150 or later. In enterprise environments, ensure updates are pushed through MDM/EMM solutions.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
WhatsappApplication
Affected:>= 2.18.180, < 2.18.295
Whatsapp BusinessApplication
Affected:>= 2.18.103, < 2.18.150

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify installed WhatsApp application
    Check the device for WhatsApp (WhatsApp Messenger) or WhatsApp Business for Android apps in Settings > Apps, or look for the app icons on the device home screen or app drawer.
    Affected if Either WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business for Android is installed on the device
  2. Check WhatsApp version number
    Open WhatsApp, tap Settings (three dots) > Help > About. Note the version number shown next to 'Version' (format: X.XX.XXX)
    Affected if Version is 2.18.180 through 2.18.294 (inclusive)
  3. Check WhatsApp Business version number
    Open WhatsApp Business, tap Settings (three dots) > Help > About. Note the version number shown next to 'Version' (format: X.XX.XXX)
    Affected if Version is 2.18.103 through 2.18.149 (inclusive)

The device is affected if WhatsApp for Android version is between 2.18.180 and 2.18.294, or WhatsApp Business for Android version is between 2.18.103 and 2.18.149.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.18.150 / 2.18.295 or later
Fixed in 2.18.1502.18.295
Interim mitigation

Update WhatsApp for Android to version 2.18.295 or later, and WhatsApp Business for Android to version 2.18.150 or later. In enterprise environments, ensure updates are pushed through MDM/EMM solutions.

Recommended fix High confidence

WhatsApp Android version 2.18.295 or later; WhatsApp Business Android version v2.18.150 or later

  1. 1. Identify all Android devices running WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business within the affected version ranges
  2. 2. For WhatsApp users: navigate to the app, go to Settings > Help > About to verify current version
  3. 3. For WhatsApp Business users: navigate to the app, go to Settings > Help > About to verify current version
  4. 4. If version is >= 2.18.180 and < 2.18.295 for WhatsApp, or >= v2.18.103 and < v2.18.150 for WhatsApp Business, update is required
  5. 5. Open Google Play Store and search for WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business
  6. 6. Update the app to the latest version (2.18.295 or later for WhatsApp; v2.18.150 or later for WhatsApp Business)
  7. 7. Verify the update was successful by checking the version in Settings > Help > About

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Whatsapp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2018-6339 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2018-6339 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data