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WhatsappApplication

CVE-2019-11931

HIGH · 7.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2019-11-14
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.19.100 / 2.19.104 or later.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
No privileges

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
A stack-based buffer overflow could be triggered in WhatsApp by sending a specially crafted MP4 file to a WhatsApp user. The issue was present in parsing the elementary stream metadata of an MP4 file and could result in a DoS or RCE. This affects Android versions prior to 2.19.274, iOS versions prior to 2.19.100, Enterprise Client versions prior to 2.25.3, Business for Android versions prior to 2.19.104 and Business for iOS versions prior to 2.19.100.

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's MP4 file parser when handling elementary stream metadata. By sending a specially crafted MP4 file to a victim, an attacker can trigger the overflow, potentially causing denial of service or achieving remote code execution on the target device.

MitigationUpdate WhatsApp to the patched version: Android to 2.19.274+, iOS to 2.19.100+, Enterprise Client to 2.25.3+, Business for Android to 2.19.104+, and Business for iOS to 2.19.100+.

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:<= 2.18.368< 2.19.100< 2.19.274
Whatsapp BusinessApplication
Affected:< 2.19.100< 2.19.104
Whatsapp Enterprise ClientApplication
Affected:< 2.25.3

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
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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 your WhatsApp product type
    Check which WhatsApp application is installed on your device: WhatsApp (consumer), WhatsApp Business, or WhatsApp Enterprise Client. This is typically visible in the app name on the home screen or in the app info section.
    Affected if The installed app is any of the affected WhatsApp product types (WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, or WhatsApp Enterprise Client)
  2. Find your installed version number
    Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Help > About, or Settings > Account > Help > About. The version number is displayed next to the app name. Note this number exactly.
    Affected if A version number is displayed indicating an unpatched installation
  3. Compare consumer WhatsApp version
    If you have WhatsApp (consumer), compare your version to: <= 2.18.368, or any version from 2.19.0 through 2.19.273. These are all affected versions. Only versions 2.19.274 and above are patched on Android; iOS needs 2.19.100+.
    Affected if Your version is <= 2.18.368 OR (>= 2.19.0 AND < 2.19.274 for Android) OR (< 2.19.100 for iOS)
  4. Compare WhatsApp Business version
    If you have WhatsApp Business, compare your version to: any version < 2.19.104 (Android) or < 2.19.100 (iOS). These are all affected versions.
    Affected if Your version is < 2.19.104 on Android OR < 2.19.100 on iOS
  5. Compare WhatsApp Enterprise Client version
    If you have WhatsApp Enterprise Client, compare your version to: any version < 2.25.3. This version and below are affected.
    Affected if Your version is < 2.25.3

You are affected if you have any WhatsApp product version that falls below the patched threshold for your specific product and platform (Android or iOS), as the vulnerability exists in the MP4 file parser which processes incoming media automatically.

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.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.19.100 / 2.19.104 / 2.19.274 or later
Fixed in 2.19.1002.19.1042.19.274
Interim mitigation

Update WhatsApp to the patched version: Android to 2.19.274+, iOS to 2.19.100+, Enterprise Client to 2.25.3+, Business for Android to 2.19.104+, and Business for iOS to 2.19.100+.

Fix this in Whatsapp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
4.0 hours of engineering $750
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.

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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-2019-11931 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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