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WhatsappApplication

CVE-2025-55179

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-18
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.25.23.73 / 2.25.23.82 or later.
See remediation →
60/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
Incomplete validation of rich response messages in WhatsApp for iOS prior to v2.25.23.73, WhatsApp Business for iOS v2.25.23.82, and WhatsApp for Mac v2.25.23.83 could have allowed a user to trigger processing of media content from an arbitrary URL on another user’s device. We have not seen evidence of exploitation in the wild.

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

Incomplete validation in WhatsApp's rich response message handling allows an attacker to craft messages containing arbitrary URLs that cause the recipient's device to fetch and process media content. This could enable information disclosure through URL access patterns or potential denial of service via malicious media processing.

MitigationUpdate WhatsApp for iOS to v2.25.23.73 or later, WhatsApp Business for iOS to v2.25.23.82 or later, and WhatsApp for Mac to v2.25.23.83 or later.

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:>= 2.25.8.14, < 2.25.23.83>= 2.25.8.17, < 2.25.23.73
Whatsapp BusinessApplication
Affected:>= 2.25.8.14, < 2.25.23.82

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

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

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 product
    Check which WhatsApp application is installed: WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, or WhatsApp for Mac. On iOS, go to Settings > WhatsApp > scroll to see the app name. On Mac, open WhatsApp and go to WhatsApp > Settings > About.
    Affected if Any WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, or WhatsApp for Mac application is installed on the device.
  2. Check WhatsApp version number
    On iOS: Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Help > App Info. On Mac: Open WhatsApp, go to WhatsApp > Settings > Help > About. Note the version number displayed (e.g., 2.25.23.72).
    Affected if The application version can be retrieved.
  3. Compare WhatsApp version to affected ranges
    Compare your installed version against these vulnerable ranges: for WhatsApp (2.25.8.14 to 2.25.23.82 inclusive, or 2.25.8.17 to 2.25.23.72 inclusive); for WhatsApp Business (2.25.8.14 to 2.25.23.81 inclusive). Any version falling within these ranges is affected.
    Affected if Installed version is >= 2.25.8.14 and < 2.25.23.73 for standard WhatsApp, or >= 2.25.8.14 and < 2.25.23.82 for WhatsApp Business, or for Mac specifically < 2.25.23.83.
  4. Verify platform and build variant
    Confirm whether you are using iOS, Android, or Mac platform. The version numbers differ by platform - ensure you compare against the correct version list for your specific platform.
    Affected if The platform affects which version thresholds apply.

You are affected if the installed WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business version falls within any of the vulnerable version ranges: 2.25.8.14 to 2.25.23.72 (standard), 2.25.8.14 to 2.25.23.81 (Business), or below 2.25.23.83 for Mac.

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 2.25.23.73 / 2.25.23.82 / 2.25.23.83 or later
Fixed in 2.25.23.732.25.23.822.25.23.83
Interim mitigation

Update WhatsApp for iOS to v2.25.23.73 or later, WhatsApp Business for iOS to v2.25.23.82 or later, and WhatsApp for Mac to v2.25.23.83 or later.

Recommended fix High confidence

WhatsApp for iOS: v2.25.23.73 or later; WhatsApp Business for iOS: v2.25.23.82 or later; WhatsApp for Mac: v2.25.23.83 or later

  1. Open the App Store (iOS/macOS) or WhatsApp application
  2. Check for updates or navigate to the app settings
  3. Update WhatsApp to version 2.25.23.83 or later (for Mac) / 2.25.23.73 or later (for iOS)
  4. Update WhatsApp Business to version 2.25.23.82 or later
  5. Verify the update was successful by checking the app version in settings

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

Fix this in Whatsapp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
2.0 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.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-55179 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