WhatsappApplication

CVE-2019-18426

HIGH · 8.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2020-01-21

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 0.3.9309 / 2.20.10 or later.

See remediation →

100/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

In the wild High EPSS Public exploit Remotely reachable No privileges

Official description

NVD · unedited

A vulnerability in WhatsApp Desktop versions prior to 0.3.9309 when paired with WhatsApp for iPhone versions prior to 2.20.10 allows cross-site scripting and local file reading. Exploiting the vulnerability requires the victim to click a link preview from a specially crafted text message.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

Vulnerability in WhatsApp Desktop versions prior to 0.3.9309 when paired with WhatsApp for iPhone versions prior to 2.20.10 allows cross-site scripting and local file reading via specially crafted link previews in text messages.

MitigationUpdate WhatsApp Desktop to version 0.3.9309 or later AND WhatsApp for iPhone to version 2.20.10 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

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

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

WhatsappApplication

Affected:< 0.3.9309< 2.20.10

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: None
User interaction: Required
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: Low
Availability: None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:H/I:L/A:N

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Check WhatsApp Desktop version

Open WhatsApp Desktop, click on the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top left, select Help, then About WhatsApp Desktop. Note the version number displayed.

Affected if The displayed version is lower than 0.3.9309 (e.g., 0.3.9308 or earlier)
Check WhatsApp for iPhone version

Open WhatsApp on your iPhone, tap Settings (gear icon) in the bottom right, scroll down and tap Help, then tap About. Note the version number shown.

Affected if The displayed version is lower than 2.20.10 (e.g., 2.20.9 or earlier)
Verify pair vulnerability status

Both applications must be checked. The vulnerability only exists when BOTH WhatsApp Desktop is below 0.3.9309 AND WhatsApp for iPhone is below 2.20.10, and they are paired together.

Affected if Both conditions are true: WhatsApp Desktop < 0.3.9309 AND WhatsApp for iPhone < 2.20.10

You are affected if both your WhatsApp Desktop version is below 0.3.9309 AND your WhatsApp for iPhone version is below 2.20.10, as the flaw requires the paired vulnerable combination to be exploitable.

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

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 0.3.9309 / 2.20.10 or later

Fixed in 0.3.93092.20.10

Interim mitigation

Update WhatsApp Desktop to version 0.3.9309 or later AND WhatsApp for iPhone to version 2.20.10 or later to remediate this vulnerability.

Recommended fix High confidence

WhatsApp Desktop >= 0.3.9309 AND WhatsApp for iPhone >= 2.20.10

For WhatsApp Desktop users: Update WhatsApp Desktop to version 0.3.9309 or later through the application or https://www.whatsapp.com/download
For WhatsApp for iPhone users: Update WhatsApp for iPhone to version 2.20.10 or later through the Apple App Store

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

Fix this in Whatsapp Exploited in the wild — priority engagement

Consultation3.0 h
Implementation4.0 h
Testing2.0 h
Review / QA1.0 h

10.0 hours of engineering $1,800

Get it fixed fast

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,880.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2019-18426 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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References

Primary sources

packetstormsecurity.comProof of Concept
www.facebook.comVendor Advisory
packetstormsecurity.comExploitThird Party AdvisoryVDB Entry
www.cisa.govUS Government Resource
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2019-18426 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2019-18426?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

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

At a glance

Exploited in the wildOn CISA’s known-exploited list · agencies must fix by 2022-06-13

A fix existsUpgrade to 0.3.9309 / 2.20.10 or later

Severity 8.2 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 67.9%

Affects: Whatsapp

Remediation

Being exploited — close it fast

Fix this in Whatsapp 10 hrs · Low

Typical engagement from $1,800

Get it fixed fast See the full breakdown ↓

This CVE is on CISA’s actively-exploited list, so the clock is real — a vetted specialist can deliver a reviewed fix for your staging environment quickly.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

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

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References