Overview
CVE-2025-55179 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting WhatsApp for iOS, WhatsApp Business for iOS, and WhatsApp for Mac. This flaw stems from incomplete validation of rich response messages, potentially allowing a malicious user to trigger processing of media content from an arbitrary URL on another user’s device. Fortunately, there is no known evidence of in-the-wild exploitation.
This article provides a detailed analysis of CVE-2025-55179, including its technical details, potential impact, and recommended mitigation steps.
Technical Details
The vulnerability resides in how WhatsApp handles rich response messages. Specifically, the inadequate validation of URLs within these messages could allow an attacker to craft a malicious message that, when processed by the recipient’s WhatsApp client, triggers the downloading and processing of media from an attacker-controlled server.
Affected versions:
- WhatsApp for iOS prior to v2.25.23.73
- WhatsApp Business for iOS prior to v2.25.23.82
- WhatsApp for Mac prior to v2.25.23.83
While the specifics of the incomplete validation aren’t publicly detailed beyond the general description, the core issue is that the application fails to adequately verify the legitimacy and safety of URLs embedded within these rich response messages before attempting to process the associated media content.
CVSS Analysis
The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) provides a standardized way to assess the severity of vulnerabilities. CVE-2025-55179 has a CVSS score of 5.4, indicating a MEDIUM severity.
The CVSS score reflects the potential for exploitation and the impact it could have. While the vulnerability requires user interaction (receiving and processing the malicious message) and has no confirmed real-world exploitation, the potential for remote media processing makes it a concern.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-55179 could lead to several negative consequences:
- Denial of Service (DoS): Repeatedly triggering the vulnerability could overwhelm the user’s device, causing it to become unresponsive.
- Information Disclosure: Depending on the specific processing triggered, sensitive information from the user’s device might be exposed to the attacker.
- Remote Code Execution (RCE): Although less likely given the nature of the description, a carefully crafted payload could potentially lead to remote code execution on the targeted device. This is the most severe potential outcome, allowing the attacker to completely control the device.
Mitigation and Patch Steps
The primary mitigation step is to update your WhatsApp application to the latest version. Meta has released patches that address this vulnerability.
- For iOS users: Update WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business through the Apple App Store. Ensure you are running version 2.25.23.73 or later for WhatsApp and v2.25.23.82 or later for WhatsApp Business.
- For Mac users: Update WhatsApp through the Mac App Store. Ensure you are running version 2.25.23.83 or later.
- Be cautious of unsolicited messages: Exercise caution when interacting with messages from unknown senders, especially those containing URLs or media files.
By keeping your applications updated, you are protecting yourself from known vulnerabilities and ensuring you have the latest security patches.
