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WhatsappApplication

CVE-2026-23863

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-05-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.3000.1032164386.258709 or later.
See remediation →
72/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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
An attachment spoofing issue in WhatsApp for Windows prior to v2.3000.1032164386.258709 could have allowed maliciously formatted documents with embedded NUL bytes in the filename to be shown in the application as one type of file but run as an executable when opened. 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

A file attachment spoofing vulnerability in WhatsApp for Windows allows filenames with embedded NUL bytes to display as a benign file type (e.g., PDF) while actually executing as a malicious executable when opened. The NUL byte truncates the displayed filename extension while preserving the true executable extension.

MitigationEnsure all WhatsApp for Windows installations are updated to version v2.3000.1032164386.258709 or later, and implement user awareness training regarding unexpected file attachments.

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:< 2.3000.1032164386.258709

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
Required
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
High
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/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. Locate WhatsApp for Windows installation
    Open Windows Settings > Apps & features, or check C:\Program Files\Windows Apps\ for WhatsApp folder, or right-click the WhatsApp desktop shortcut and select Properties to find the executable path
    Affected if WhatsApp for Windows is installed on the system
  2. Find the installed WhatsApp version
    Right-click the WhatsApp executable (WhatsApp.exe) in the installation folder, select Properties, and check the Details tab for the File version. Alternatively, open WhatsApp and go to Settings > Help > About WhatsApp to view the version number
    Affected if The version number displayed is lower than 2.3000.1032164386.258709
  3. Confirm the specific version format
    Ensure the full version string matches the affected range exactly. The vulnerable versions are anything below 2.3000.1032164386.258709, including earlier 2.3xxx releases
    Affected if The installed version begins with 2.2xxx or 2.3xxx with a build number lower than 1032164386.258709, or shows no version information at all
  4. Verify the vulnerability trigger condition
    This vulnerability activates when receiving a file attachment with a NUL byte embedded in the filename (e.g., 'document.pdf\x00.exe'). The display shows only 'document.pdf' but the actual file is an executable. No configuration check is possible; version-based detection is the primary method
    Affected if The vulnerable WhatsApp version is installed and the user receives specially crafted file attachments

A system is affected if WhatsApp for Windows is installed with a version number lower than 2.3000.1032164386.258709, as only those versions contain the NUL byte filename truncation flaw in the attachment display logic.

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 2.3000.1032164386.258709 or later
Fixed in 2.3000.1032164386.258709
Interim mitigation

Ensure all WhatsApp for Windows installations are updated to version v2.3000.1032164386.258709 or later, and implement user awareness training regarding unexpected file attachments.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.3000.1032164386.258709 or later

  1. 1. Open WhatsApp for Windows application
  2. 2. Click on the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-left corner
  3. 3. Select 'Settings' from the dropdown menu
  4. 4. Click on 'Help' in the left sidebar
  5. 5. Select 'Version info' to view the current installed version
  6. 6. If the version is below 2.3000.1032164386.258709, download the latest version from the official WhatsApp website (https://www.whatsapp.com/download/) or use the in-app update feature if available
  7. 7. Install the updated version to remediate the NUL byte attachment spoofing vulnerability

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

Fix this in Whatsapp Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Testing1.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
3.0 hours of engineering $750
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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-2026-23863 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